Sacrificial Choices
by Sprightly Grey
Summary: (The sequel to Amity in the Stars.) Ellure Shepard is faced with the threat she's tried so hard to stop. Pushing forward, she battles the nightmare unfolding, but she won't have to go it alone. The galaxy needs unity now more than ever, and she calls on her past alliances to join the cause. Sacrifices will be made, choices will have consequences, and fates will be met head on.
1. Hourglass

**Attention**: _This is a direct sequel to "__Amity in the Stars__" and will include all of my personal adaptations as well as items, characters, and relationships that took place throughout._

_This part of Ellure Shepard and Garrus Vakarian's journey occurs during the events of ME3, includes multiple characters, and is Rated: M for strong language and adult content._

_**Here we go!**_

* * *

**This is a work of fan fiction from all Mass Effect games owned by EA and Bioware. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or the Mass Effect universe. My thanks to Bioware and EA for creating an amazing story with characters we have all come to know and love.**

* * *

**Prologue**

It had been months since he had heard from her. The days stretched long, and the nights whispered their desperation. News on the wire hailed of the terrors they'd fought so hard to stop. In every moment, he only experienced the purest of nightmares. The matter of when was no longer the issue. The newest developing question was how.

This enclosed military bunker had been his home for more days than he cared to consider. With only enough space to stand in the center of the room, the back of his calves brushed the cot as he rearranged the maps, strategic plans, graphs, and stat sheets of their plight that concealed the small table. An onyx shard rested on one untouched corner. As grisly of a reminder as it was, it gave him enough conviction to endure another day. _I need to know that you'll be out there fighting just as hard as I will_, she had said.

Garrus Vakarian gripped the barrel of his M-98 Widow and affixed it to the back of his armor. Double checking thermal clip holsters, he opened the heavy metal door.

The hushed but cool air of Menae greeted him as he strode through the camp, scuffling through the uneven pebble ridden dirt till he located General Corinthus dutifully poring over the holographic mapping table. "Vakarian, sir." He saluted.

"At ease, General. Anything new?"

"The offensive assault is still ongoing. The Hierarchy is sending warp bombs through the relay-"

A transponder began to crackle. They shared a portentous glance as Corinthus picked it up and adjusted the tuning.

_"... reports from the Exodus Cluster... were fleeing..."_

Corinthus twisted the dial with trembled patience. "Repeat transmission."

_"Earth has gone completely dark. Intercepted reports from the Exodus Cluster were incorrect. The batarians were not invading human-occupied space. They were fleeing. All contact with Khar'shan has died... past twenty-four hours... Urgent... Repeat..."_

"Damn this radio frequency." Corinthus thumped the receiver.

_"Urgent. Taetrus has fallen! Repeat. Taetrus has fallen!"_

A chill crept across his shoulders. A chill that had nothing to do with the temperature of Menae tonight.

Stepping out from the shelter's overhang, he gathered with the rest of the command base's inhabitants and observed the place he'd called home for thirty-one years. Solana would be prepping the intensive care unit on the fifth floor of the hospital. His father would be rallying local civilian forces in the residential district.

He closed his eyes. _Taetrus has fallen_. The words would be burned into his memory. Garrus held tight to this picturesque scene. Everything was about to change.

Bone chilling reaper roars echoed in the sky.

The fight had come to Palaven.

* * *

**Chapter 01: Hourglass**

"What do we do?"

She drew their attention to the large screen displaying the turmoil being unleashed upon Earth. "The only thing we can. We fight, or we die."

The tiles vibrated beneath her feet as a bottomless hum encompassed the room. Her pulse fixed in her throat. "Oh my god..."

Behind the Defense Committee's perch, red lightening stirred in the clouds. Reaper legs loomed over the water causing ripples to become waves. A particle beam streamed into a neighboring skyscraper and swung toward them. "Go... Go, go!"

Anderson turned on his heels. Glass and heat exploded from behind them. Metal groaned with the crack of marble. She slid to her knees, covered the back of her head, and hunched forward. The fortress of a desk breezed her shoulders, slamming into the exit. Screams of panic reflected off the walls.

As she staggered to stand, another blast hit. Shrapnel propelled across the room. Lights faded away.

_"Do you know what the worst part of it was? That after I had gotten past the shock of killing so many, I was thankful it wasn't you... or Tali... Joker, Jack..." Slicing the air with the back of her hand, she said, "What kind of person thinks like that? A selfish one."_

_A warm touch angled her chin up as he lowered his gaze to hers. "The kind of person who can understand someone else's loss. The kind of person who fights with a passion for what they love. Whether it's an individual or an entire galaxy, you do the best you can. That's all you can do. You think I went into that collector base worrying about the millions of humans I was setting out to save? I wasn't... I was only concerned about one. If that makes me a bad guy, so be it. Either way, the mission was accomplished."_

_"But it's different. What if the Collectors had been abducting turians?"_

_He sighed. "Then I would have been fighting for my people, my family, and one very important human. But, I would have been keeping myself alive just for the human giving me an incentive to see tomorrow."_

"Shepard!"

"Damn it..." Ellure rolled to her hands and knees while the world refocused. Coughing and hacking, she spit red onto the floor and brushed the back of her hand over her mouth as she sat back on her knees. Head dropped, palms on her thighs, elbows bent out, she tried to gather her bearings. She had a turian to live for.

"Shepard! Come on. Get up." Anderson dropped the warmed grip of a pistol into her hand. "We've got to get moving." He spoke into his comm while sifting a path through the room's debris. "This is Admiral Anderson reporting to - anyone... Major Alenko, is that you? What's your status?"

She rose and stepped over a lifeless body. Flames licked along melted support beams and rubble, creating a stench of smoke and flesh.

Standing at the hole in the wall where gallant windows had adorned seconds ago, she watched fighters plummet through the atmosphere and streak across the sky. The Reapers' level of force was astronomical. No amount of training could prepare someone for this.

"Shepard. Let's go. Normandy is inbound." Anderson waved his gruff hand, attracting her attention.

She nodded and set her own body into motion. Her leather boots crunched through shattered glass as she dropped out the window's shell and onto HQ's rafters.

Her path in life hadn't been golden, but she'd experienced moments worth saving. Ellure Shepard had made mistakes, she didn't always have the answers, however, she wasn't a quitter, and failure was not an option.

* * *

James and Kaidan departed into the Normandy. Ellure stood cemented to the top of the ramp while Anderson charged back into battle. It should have been her down there.

As the SR-2 drifted, she viewed her people scrambling for safety. The boy, who'd been playing with his toy ship before hiding in a ventilation shaft, climbed into an Alliance shuttle unassisted. No one had the time to help a child or to even see one in the chaos. The vessel lifted off as a Destroyer's death sentence was issued. Eyes snapped shut, she tried to breathe steadily._ It was the first of many, _she thought_._

Ellure slapped the panel on its stand and the scene tapered away as the bay door closed. She regarded the returned and repaired chain of ID tags Anderson had thrown to her in haste.

It was time to keep her promise.

Gripping them tight, she pressed the cold metal to her lips before slipping the tags overhead, tucking them in her shirt as she strode through the shuttle bay. Garrus was solid. There was no way he'd go down or give up easily, and neither would she.

"Hey!" James grasped her arm and pulled her to a stop. "Where's Anderson? What's going on?"

"We're leaving. Anderson wants us to go to the Citadel and speak with the Council."

"Whoa, now. That's loco! We can't leave Earth. We should be out there fighting."

She faced him. Pointing at her sternum, she said, "You think I wanted to do this? I've already had my fair share of bartering and begging, but we don't have a choice. If you have a problem with that, I'll punt your ass out the hangar."

James' eyes tightened. "Let's do that then. Give me a parachute."

"I... what?"

"Your story is bullshit. Anderson wouldn't order that."

"We've got a job to do. Unfortunately, this is the one we were given. You can hitch a ride home from the Citadel." She continued her march up to the console and left him to broil.

The Alliance had certainly changed a few things on the Normandy, but how much? She never learned what happened to her crew. During her incarceration, James was the only person to visit her from time to time. He was her keeper, so to speak.

_"Admiral Anderson. There's a message from Admiral Hackett. Coded as urgent."_

His voice caused her to take pause. There was still one person on this craft she could count on. "It's me, Joker."

_"Ell? What the shit?"_

She smiled. "Don't be excited or anything."

_"Are you kidding me? I'm fucktastic! Oh, man... What happened?"_

"Anderson is giving them hell. Can you patch it to the shuttle bay console? I see they've made a few upgrades."

_"Consider it done."_

A small view screen sputtered. While she waited for the static to clear, she began tearing through the armor locker. Where did all her gear get packed away?

"Shepard." said Hackett, "Glad to see you've been reinstated."

"Only took a war with the Reapers for that to happen."

"You got off easy."

"If you say so. Looks like I've got a date with the Council."

"Hold off on that. I need you to go to an Alliance outpost on Mars before we lose control of the Sol system."

"Mars?" She shut the locker and stood over the console, hands on her hips, to stare at the scrambled feed. "Why Mars?"

"Prothean archives... I was in contact with Dr. T'Soni. This may be what we were looking for."

"Our blueprints? You think it's there?"

"I'd stake my life on it."

"Time for a detour then."

He nodded. "Don't delay. Hackett out."

The video cut off.

Ellure narrowly missed Kaidan's shoulder with hers as she passed, resorting to the first of many crates to find her armor. "Joker, set a course for the Mars archives."

_"Aye aye, Commander."_

Kaidan leaned back against a support beam and hooked one knee to prop his foot on his toe. Noting the hard whisky eyes raking over her, she attempted to ease the tension in the air while digging through rifles. "Am I the only one who thinks he's telling me to 'hack it out' after every conversation?"

"Mars? What does he think we'll find there?"

Peeking over the lid, she concluded he wasn't in the mood for stress relieving banter, which she should have already guessed would be the case. "While you were out playing with your biotic covert ops and becoming a major, I was picking through collector base data. Long story short, I passed it off to Hackett and Liara. We were missing an instruction manual." She slammed shut the lid. "Sounds like they found it."

"Instruction manual for what?"

"Some kind of weapon." she said, moving on to the next stack of crates.

"A weapon? What weapon? Something from the collector base?"

"Are we going to play twenty questions, or are you going to help me find my damn gear?"

"I prefer twenty questions."

She combed burgundy strands back out of her view. "I don't know what kind of weapon it is. I don't know whose weapon it is. All I know is that it's the only thing we've got."

"Why should we put all our chips in one basket?"

"If you can find me another basket, I'm game."

Kaidan pushed off the girder and stepped closer. "Are we going to discuss things or are you going to change subjects and avoid it?"

"What things?"

"Let's start with why you teamed up with Cerberus."

"I don't have time for this. If you're not going to help me find my gear, then you should get suited up. We can talk about this later." She held his gaze till he walked away, albeit unhappily, and returned to her search.

James and Kaidan gathered up their weaponry and armor and headed toward a small alcove filled with a weapons table, exercise equipment, and littered with gun components; a place that had formerly been a makeshift sparring ring. "Where are you two going?"

"To change." said James matter-of-factly.

She snorted a laugh through her nose and kept burrowing. "All right."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Sounding of a more level attitude, James said, "Were you hoping for a strip tease?"

"I found it humorous that it bothered you because I was in the room. You boys don't have anything I haven't already seen." Ellure winked to Kaidan. He sighed and began undressing where he stood without retort. She still knew how to push his buttons if nothing else.

James disappeared from view. "I'm not used to this yet."

Little by little, she made her way through the boxes. She found thermal clips, Medi-gel, guns, scopes, and just about every other type of protective gear except for her own. "Crap." she said as Kaidan climbed into the shuttle. It was time to settle for anything that fit and slap it on.

While plucking out a set in her size, James' heavy boots appeared beside the base of the crate. "Yes?" she urged.

"I wanted to see if you'd found anything."

"I did. Thanks... Anything else you wish to ask me?"

He shifted his weight and shook his head. "No, forget it."

"I know a silent question when I see one."

"Well, you have to admit it's sort of interesting. Commander Shepard shows up to captain the ship, then Major Alenko gets all stuffy and you two are giving each other hostile googly eyes."

"Hostile what?"

"You know. The look of death." He widened his eyes and lobbed his head in a circle, growling in a whisper, "_Muerte_..."

"This is going to be a long flight. I can feel it in my bones."

"You have nice bones by the way. Not bones exactly, but the covering over them is good."

"Careful, Mr. Vega. You may bite off more than you can chew."

"I don't know. I can eat a good bit."

"Ah, just what I need - another ego maniac in my life."

"Who's the other one?"

"That's classified information I'm afraid."

"You holdin' out on me? Isn't there some Alliance rule about that?"

"If there is, then maybe I need a refresher." She shrugged. "Either way, you don't get to know." Ellure directed his gaze toward the shuttle. "You may want to get a move on."

"Why?"

"Because I have to undress, and I have a gut feeling you're all talk." She got to her feet and smirked at his flustered expression before he retreated.

* * *

"I... I can't believe she just did that." said Vega.

His helmet pressure leveled as they opened the side of the shuttle. "I can't believe you tried to stop her from it."

"I mean, you know, the whole stripping down in the shuttle bay I could grow to tolerate."

"You're going to learn to tolerate that? You were enjoying it plenty." Kaidan Alenko could understand the distraction. After all, he'd handled those enticing hips first hand. But that was a long time ago. As far as he was concerned, that woman died in the attack on the SSV. This Shepard had all the trimmings of the first, but how could she team up with Cerberus like that?

"But... she kicked me out of the pilot seat. She's not even that good at piloting! That chick is muy loco."

"What did you call me?" Shoulders squared and arms folded across a black N7 breastplate, Shepard stood outside the shuttle with an obvious lack of patience.

James jumped down out of the Kodiak. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"I don't care what you call me." A plated finger poked into Vega's shoulder. "But do not call me, _chick_. Ever. End of discussion."

"Why?"

"That's not important. Just don't call me _that_. Please?"

"Yeah. Sure thing." As she cocked her Mantis and marched away, Vega rolled out his shoulder and massaged it.

"There's something you should know about the commander." Kaidan said, watching her tromp across the Mars landscape.

"What's that?"

He grinned at the encroaching dust storm. "She has a temper, but it passes quickly."

"I was beginning to think she was on her cycle."

"I hope not."

On any other day he would have appreciated the chance to take in the beauty of their surroundings. Mars was famous for its scarlet waves, but however tremulous the weather, they were here to find T'Soni. She had gotten her hands on something important enough for Hackett to make an urgent personal request during Earth's biggest war - possibly even their last.

Glancing over the edge of the path's drop off, he spied her waiting expectantly. Shepard tapped on the side of her helmet. "My comm is on. I can hear everything you two are discussing. And for your information, I don't have a menstrual cycle. That went kaput after I died."

His armor clattered as he stuck the landing. Kaidan grunted and straightened, shaking off the hit to his legs. "How come Cerberus didn't just fix it with everything else?" It was hard not let the bitterness seep into that inquiry. What did he care about any of this?

"If you really want a biology lesson, let's just say eggs can't be replenished. You only get so many. And I would rather not have half-robotic Cerberus baby clones."

Vega said, "Well, I feel like an asshole."

"Good. Now I own you."

"I can't keep up with this."

"Give it time." he said, listening to Shepard's subtle and familiar laugh as it filled his helmet. "You learn to work around it."

Rifle in hand, she followed the narrow path wrapping craggy cliffs toward the landmark facility while veering from the sharp descent on their right. "There's you're problem, Kaidan. You don't know how to push back."

"Me not pushing back? That was the problem?"

"I never said that you weren't. I said that you didn't know '_how_'."

Two shots fired in the distance.

Shepard signaled for stop. "I'll scout it out." She quickly crouched to a red boulder overlooking the next ledge. Flattened onto her stomach, she sidled on her elbows up to the verge as they trailed. Like a viper lying in wait, she swept her barrel over the area. "Oh my god. They just..."

The muscles in his stomach constricted at the tone of her voice. "What is it?" Kaidan knelt down beside her, keeping hidden. For a moment he'd almost reached out to touch her. Habit, he assured himself.

"Cerberus is here. They killed two Alliance. Execution style."

"Huh." He followed her sightline to the valley in front of their target destination.

The facility wasn't large enough to be considered high risk. Archivists, scientists, and researchers made up the bulk of its inhabitants. Two of the main buildings were connected by a transportation rail, but overall nothing noteworthy aside from the Cerberus Makos and personnel dotting the courtyard. "Do you know why they're here?"

She lowered her weapon. Blue-grey eyes smoldered behind the screen of her helmet as she glanced over her shoulder. "Why would I know anything about that?"

"You tell me. You just happened to bring us to Mars where we find Cerberus has already arrived and set up camp? That doesn't seem at all a little _convenient_ to you?"

"I'm not even going to acknowledge that statement." She returned to her scope.

He was tired of this tango. She'd never told him a damn thing. He wasn't even sure what was going on about their relationship. It was never called off or restarted. Neither of them had mentioned it since she returned.

Kaidan clenched his jaw. How many days, weeks, and months did he spend mourning her only to find out she was alive? Shouldn't he have been the first person she contacted? Or at least tried to? Instead, he finds her waltzing around Horizon with Garrus and some half-naked tattooed kid fighting in the name of Cerberus. "Shepard. I need a straight answer."

"Kaidan..." She pulled back and dropped her head.

"Don't _Kaidan_ me. This is business. Do you know anything about why Cerberus is here?"

"Why do you think I know what they're up to?"

"You worked for them for god's sake. How am I not supposed to think that?"

"We joined forces to take down the Collectors. That's it."

"There's more to it." He nudged her hip with the butt of his assault rifle. "They rebuilt you from the ground up. They gave you a ship and resources." They could have even brainwashed her. He'd heard of that happening between victims and their captors. She was gone for two years. How long had she been alive before Horizon?

"Let me be clear. I've had no contact with Cerberus since I destroyed the collector base."

Across Shepard's sniping gap, Vega turned to him. "Commander Shepard's been under constant surveillance since coming back to Earth. No way they've communicated since."

Kaidan took a deep breath. He wanted to believe that, but Cerberus was capable of anything. "I'm sorry, Shepard-"

"I don't need an apology," she interrupted. "I'm asking you to trust me. I don't know how else I'm supposed to convince you of this."

"I do trust you. I didn't mean-"

"Let's not get into this right here. We're lucky we haven't been spotted yet. We are here with an objective, Major." Shepard patted the side of his boot. "Come on. Show off some of those biotics." She returned to steadying her aim.

He tried to concentrate on controlling his biotics under such duress. She was treating him like a child. Kaidan straightened his fingers and slowly curled them as he rotated his wrist to cradle the blue in his hand. He waited for her to take out the first target.

Shepard faintly whispered, "Breathe in, shoot-"

* * *

_How did Cerberus get in here? _

She jockeyed through the ventilation shaft as it quaked and swayed under her weight and theirs.

_By the Goddess, let this thing hold_.

Once again, she was scrambling for data. It was exhilarating. Not as freeing as blowing up the Shadow Broker's ship, but-

Bullets ricocheted off the sides of the narrow passage. That was incredibly stupid. They had no qualms about the risk of hitting themselves. They were desperate, but so was she. Liara T'Soni was the only thing standing between Cerberus and the galaxy's only saving grace.

Scant lines of light came into view. She pulled her pistol and continued her confined running crawl.

Pulling her legs forward, she kicked the grate and sent it crashing to the bottom. She leapt, landed, and slipped, hitting her side but rebounding. Spinning around, she powered a singularity to fall in their path.

As the two lackeys squished their bulked bodies through the lone exit, they were immediately caught in her trap. She fired two shots. Once they'd fallen to the ground she reloaded and made sure it was completely carried out.

"Liara?"

She whipped around to see the face that matched the voice. "Shepard?"

"Hackett sent me. Are you okay?" One of the men behind the commander was aiming for her. Shepard put her hand on his fit to bust arm and lowered it. "Put it away, James. She's a friend."

She shelved her pistol and hurried to meet her halfway for an embrace. Liara was elated. She could use her help now more than ever. "I'm so glad you're alright. I wasn't sure after the reports from Earth started coming in." Shepard provided a quick squeeze before releasing her. "Right after that Cerberus shut everything down. I don't know how they achieved access."

The other human behind her approached and broke her train of thought. "Kaidan?" she managed, astonished to see him with Shepard. Liara returned his greeting smile and hugged him. "I hear you're a major now."

"Yeah," he said shyly, "you've been pretty busy yourself too I see."

"Very."

Shepard said, "Did you find our answer?"

"I think so. It's a device crafted by the protheans for a defense against the Reapers. I haven't had the time to truly look into it, but, from what I can gather, it is _massive_."

"That's reassuring. Do you think we'd be able to recreate it?"

"It certainly seems that way, but I can't get to the data. It's in the archives, and I've been locked out."

"All right. What's the plan?"

"We get it." She grinned in comeback to Shepard's quirky grin and rested one hand on her hip in a display of nonchalant confidence. "What else would we do?"

Shepard held out her fist and bumped it to hers. "I like your plan, Ms. T'Soni."

Sparks crackled from the door behind them. Cerberus was making a push on their location.

Shepard turned to her squad. "Kaidan, cover our six-"

"There's nothing behind us."

"Please don't question me - trust me. _Cover our six_. I guarantee that is the first step to solidifying our defense. If I have to keep checking behind me, I might as well have left the sniper rifle on the ship." After Kaidan nodded, she said to James, "Get back to the shuttle. I want that thing in the air."

James' jaw visibly dropped. "But... I wanted to join in the race to the archives."

Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed her eyes. "You're not going to stick out your lip and pout, are you? Cause I don't need another pouter. I've already survived one. Between your ego and your pouting, I'm... I'm just not sure what to do with you, James."

"But-"

"I need you in the air. The storm is interfering with our ability to reach the Normandy. I want you covering the exits if Cerberus beats us to it. You were demanding to pilot not fifteen minutes ago."

"Why do I have to sit out on all the action?" he said and stormed away for the lift.

Scanning the area for good positioning, Liara noted Kaidan's sour expression. "Having trouble with the new crew?"

"Things on Earth were difficult. I can't even begin to describe it. Everyone is on the edge." Shepard ducked behind a glass partition. "This is terrible cover."

"I'm sorry, Shepard. I meant to come see you, but then Hackett contacted me. And yes, they can see you."

"I'm glad you didn't. This is more important. You can just drop the glowy thing in the entrance."

"I owe you a hot chocolate." Liara powered a singularity at the door as Cerberus troops broke through.

"I'll hold you to that. It's always nice when someone buys off their absence." Shepard fired and reloaded. "Tracking down data again? I'm starting to think you like the thrill of the chase."

"What thrill? Your driving almost got us killed. Even Garrus was rattled for a couple seconds and that's saying something." Elbows glued to the storage container, she steadied the warming pistol between her gloved hands.

"How's Feron?"

_She would ask that in the middle of a firefight_. "I thought I already made that clear?"

"Things change."

Liara ducked from the barrel of a Cerberus SMG and emptied her spent clip to the floor. Catching a fresh one from Shepard, she popped it in and cocked her Carnifex. "Can we please concentrate on Cerberus at the moment?"

"Fine." Shepard engaged her tactical cloak.

"You're going to wait and ask me later, aren't you?"

"Yep."


	2. Crash and Burn

**This is a work of fan fiction from all Mass Effect games owned by EA and Bioware. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or the Mass Effect universe. My thanks to Bioware and EA for creating an amazing story with characters we have all come to know and love.**

* * *

**Chapter 02: Crash and Burn**

The security camera's recording snarled dead. Ellure could feel the betrayal in the air. She was familiar with its presence more and more these days. "It's not your fault."

"Dr. Eva? I should have realized it when I met her. I was just so focused on finding a way to stop the Reapers." Liara sank into the revolving office chair abandoned at the console.

"I'm going to go ahead and scout the area." Standing in the doorway behind her, Kaidan pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Maybe there's a switch or something."

Ellure nodded. Kneeling, she rotated their distraught asari to face her. "The Reapers are the only thing we should be focused on right now."

"But what if we're wrong? What if there's no way to stop them? What if these are our last days, and we're just running around scurrying to solve a problem we can't fix?"

"Liara..."

"I know I shouldn't think that way. I don't know how you do it." Liara tucked one arm around her waist and bent forward to cup her chin in the palm of her hand.

"I just think about what I'd lose if I fail."

"That's a terrible burden."

"Maybe. But what else do I have in my life worth fighting for?"

"Earth."

"And what good is that if I'm the only one left standing? We'll do this, together."

"Thanks... I want to believe you."

She pressed the pad of her forefinger to Liara's forehead. "_This_ is why we fight."

"My head?"

"No, damn it. You know what I meant."

"I thought you were fighting to save the galaxy. And Garrus, of course."

She smiled. "I fight for _you_, Joker, Tali, Kaidan, and so on. I _live_ for Garrus."

Liara choked out a laugh. "You're such a romantic sometimes."

"Shh. That stays between you and me." Ellure stood. "I've had my own moments where the wool has been pulled over my eyes, but you learn to move past it and fix it as best as you can."

With pensive demeanor, Liara returned to her hacking of the console. "I'll see if I can find a way to get the tram working again."

"That's my girl." She patted Liara's shoulder and exited to seek out Kaidan in the transport bay.

Two levels of cargo space embraced the room highlighted by an impenetrable gate. They had to get that thing open. The more time they spent here, the more time they lost on construction. Every second that passed spelled disaster.

Crouching in front of a dead Cerberus combatant slumped against the balcony's fall barrier, Kaidan said, "Shepard. You may want to take a look at this."

"What've you got?"

"See for yourself."

He moved aside to give her a better visual. Feeling the sides of the deceased's helmet, she released the frontal mask. The eyes of this man were glowing-leaching of husk blue. "Oh..."

"_Oh_? That's all you have to add? Did you know about this? What are they doing?"

Snubbing the stiff ache in her thighs, she pushed herself to stand. "Zaeed..."

"Zaeed-who?"

"Former disgruntled crewmember on the Normandy. He mentioned something about this."

"What did he say?"

"The conversation is fuzzy." Kaidan raised his eyebrows, implying his need for further elaboration. "I was drinking." He exhaled through flared nostrils and pursed his lips. She continued, "But he said that Cerberus had _huskified_ men. There was something else, but I can't remember it now."

"What are they trying to do?"

"Kaidan. I don't know. If words won't convince you of that, then I have nothing left to say."

"Shepard, I don't know what you are, or who. Not since Cerberus rebuilt you. For all I know you could be their puppet, controlled by the Illusive Man himself." he said, pointing to the deceased.

"Please tell me you're joking. How can you compare me to him?" She was shocked. Thinking she was working for them was one thing, but accusing her of being one of those? "I'm nothing like him!"

"Cerberus is capable of anything."

"Kaidan. I only-"

"Don't try to explain it. I don't think I'd understand anyway." Kaidan stepped closer, cornering her gaze. "I just want to know if the person I followed to hell and back, the person that I loved... Are you still in there? Somewhere?"

Eyes that had once been a source of warmth were cold and detached. To an extent she deserved it, but not for the reasons he assumed. Only because she hadn't come clean sooner. Because she should have never kissed him that night. Should have never even fooled herself into thinking the relationship could've been plausible. "I'm the same person I've always been."

He broke away.

Ellure stared out at the industrial shipping containers blotting the lower level. How was she supposed to convince him of anything? Maybe there was no way to salvage this friendship. "You were always stubborn."

"Me?" He scoffed to Liara as she joined them. "She's calling me stubborn. You believe that?"

"With Shepard nothing would surprise me." Liara frowned apologetically to her. "I can't crack through."

"We have to find a way over there." she said for her own conviction. Cerberus had all the same data received from the collector base. They couldn't have much of a jump on the project. With the Council's help, the Alliance was the best source of potential construction. Liara was certain it could be built and that was the goal. "Is there any other routes we can take?"

Liara shook her head.

Kaidan said, "What about his comm?"

"What about it?" she implored, fearing this was another question leading back to her involvement with Cerberus.

"Just pretend to be one of them and say you've taken care of... well... us."

Ellure noticed a change of tone. That was a start. "Great idea, Major."

Kaidan smiled lightly. "Thanks."

* * *

"Seriously? What did she eat for breakfast?" Shepard panted over his comm.

Kaidan pursued, hot on Liara's heels as they rounded the corner. "Keep after her."

The commander was already up the ladder in a mad dash. "She's getting away!"

Scaling to the rooftop, he spotted the woman escaping into a waiting shuttle. Shepard skidded to a stop. "Normandy! James! Anybody?" She paced in frustration, plastering her palms the crown of her head in recognizable shock.

The wind in the air revved alive with the roar of a catastrophe. Liara pulled her pistol and ran ahead bouncing bullets off the vehicle. He slowed and listened to Vega growl through the static, "I got this one."

The Kodiak appeared in the distance, rocketing toward them. Shepard began waving her arms and jumping to flag him.

Time slowed as their shuttle slammed into Cerberus' at full speed. Metal squealed and twisted to land only meters away from the asari and exploded into flames. Vega pulled up to avoid a collision with the building's exterior wall and circled with smoke peppering from behind.

Liara was flat amidst the debris, and Kaidan rushed to assist her, checking for any signs of cracks in her oxygen mask. "Are you all right?"

"I think so." She took his hand and he lifted her, draping her arm around his shoulders as he escorted her away from the blazing wreckage.

"You could have gotten yourself killed." he said, watching Shepard tear at the side of the Kodiak to free Vega.

"We had to get the data anyway necessary."

A riotous bang clanged from behind them. He turned to see a burnt sheen emerge from the wreck.

Dr. Eva was no human.

She charged toward them. He pushed Liara away from the skirmish and freed his pistol only to have it knocked away. His helmet groaned, and his vertebrae popped as he was yanked off the ground. He gripped its wrist, feeling the metal's heat through his gloves.

"Orders?" she said, cocking her head, appraising him with platinum eyes.

"No!" The siren in Shepard's voice made his own body wither. "Put him down and back away."

The android nodded.

There was nothing below his feet to regain his own standing. With so much adrenaline, biotics were out of the question.

He was twirled around. The death grip on his mask propelled him back into the shuttle. Amongst the collision of steel he could hear her.

"No! Oh God, please... please." Shepard cried, "It's jammed!"

His helmet splintered and instantly the pressure seeped. Everything became a muddled vapor.

The only thing in his mind was Shepard. She was right. It was still her. He shouldn't have doubted it. The anguish in her voice was his confirmation.

The rooftop hammered his chest. His body could only remain limp as he stared at a small flame creeping along the callused ground. Shots fired behind him. Who was shooting?

He observed the fire growing. A reflexive notion told him to move away from it, but he couldn't. There was a disconnect.

An electric buzz flitted in his skull. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what it was he was resisting.

"Hang on, Kaidan." she said soothingly.

He felt himself being hoisted up. Head whirling and body weighty, he was sinking.

"Stay with me, Major... James! Get that thing and bring it with us."

In and out, he heard a litany of voices. He couldn't place them, except for one. He knew this one better than the rest. He held onto it to hang onto himself.

Flashes came and went.

_"Alright, Alenko. Off the record, permission to speak candidly, cross my heart and hope to die, what are you talking about?"_

_"Idle field flirting is one thing, Shepard. There are regs about fraternization."_

_"Get everyone to the evac shuttles! I'll take care of Joker."_

_"We are gathered here to remember the fallen... Rahman, Mandira. Shepard, Ellure. Tanaka, Raymond..."_

_"How could you put me through that? Why didn't you contact me and at least let me know that you were alive?"_

_"Wasn't my choice. I spent the last two years in a sort of coma being rebuilt by Cerberus-"_

_"Cerberus? You're with Cerberus now?"_

_"You were always stubborn."_

_"Kaidan. We need you... Fight. That's an order."_

* * *

The cup was still steaming when Shepard returned to the Huerta Memorial waiting area. Joker was slouched in the chair beside her, head back and hat resting over his face. Liara elbowed his forearm. "Wake up."

He twisted as if looking at her, but the only thing visible was SR-2. "Why?"

"Shepard's back."

Joker's hat quickly fell into place as he erected his posture. "How is he?"

Adorned in body armor minus weapons, gloves, and helmet, Shepard plopped into a chair beside her. Liara offered her the hot brew in an attempt to get her mind back on track. She'd been in shambles the entire flight.

"Thanks."

"Lightened and sweetened." Liara waited for her to taste it and mend. The question of how Alenko was doing did not require asking.

Shepard's eyes were lost and grey, the blue hues overshadowed by the lackluster dark purple of her eyelids. "He's still out of it. They said the swelling isn't too severe and they expect him to pull through. We won't know the extent of the damage till they finish checking his implant."

Joker said, "What about the Council?"

"Bailey is buying us some time."

Liara nodded. "Are you okay?"

Shepard lowered the cup and refastened the lid securely. "Kaidan just got his head turned into a pulp and you're asking how I am?"

Sensing the answer, Liara moved past the matter. "Hackett's right. It's going to get worse, isn't it?"

"Considering what I saw on Earth? I don't see how it couldn't."

"What if the Council doesn't help us?"

Joker scoffed. "Then it'd be no different than any other day. Shitheads didn't even validate our parking."

Shepard eased into the seat and combed her hair back as she reclined. "Be a hell of a short war."

They all stared at the news feed on the video screen stamped to the waiting room's mint paint backdrop. Liara viewed the headline ticker inattentively. Strained relationship aside, Kaidan and Shepard still cared for each other. She hoped they would finally see that enough to charge into this war on a more united front.

Joker slumped with knees spread, matching Shepard's pose, and sandwiched her legs between them. "I should design comfortable waiting room chairs for a living after all this."

"Let's hope there is a waiting room still standing for you to furnish." Liara said, giving her consideration to the monotone mustached human on the screen. "Why doesn't he just shave that?"

Shepard snorted a laugh. "I have no idea."

_"Reports from Palaven Command have been lost. Recent transmissions have revealed that the same enemy that is to blame for attacks on the Sol system and neighboring batarian systems are responsible."_

Liara hushed as Joker scooted to the edge of his seat folding the hat between his hands and saying only, "Shit."

Shepard crossed the room, tilting her gaze up at the screen.

_"As to date, all news from Earth, Khar'Shan, and Palaven is limited. Stay tuned to Citadel News for the latest as it comes in... Citadel News. You're number one source for galactic information."_

"Things just won't let up." Joker replaced the cap and joined the commander.

Wrapping one arm around her waist, he tugged her against his hip and whispered something before leaving. Shepard shook her head and continued to gape at the screen, anxiously rubbing her lips with the tips of her fingers.

That was the last thing the commander needed to hear today. Liara waited for a nurse and an obviously unstable patient requesting a gun to pass. It wouldn't be long till the Citadel would feel the pinch of this mounting war. She could already see the signs as turian military ships and batarian refugees had filled the docking bay when they'd arrived.

"I'm going to go ahead and stall the Council as long as I can." she assured.

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Take as much time as you need."

* * *

The news report looped for a fourth time. The coffee soured her stomach and Ellure tossed the cup in the trash. She probably shouldn't drink it anyways. When was the last time she ate? Or showered?

Again the mustached announcer droned on. The same report over and over. Nothing substantial to tell her anything. She nibbled on her blunted thumb nail. Was he okay? Of course he would be. No doubt. Right?

A warm scent of amber and spice tickled her nose. "So much devastation."

Ellure turned to see her unexpected visitor. "Dr. Chakwas? What are you doing here?"

"Putting all my training to good use where I can. Since you didn't go on trial, I wasn't charged as an accessory, but I was left to my vices. I saw them bring in Major Alenko."

"He was injured on a mission to Mars. We didn't have medical staff on board, but the Normandy got him here in time."

"Oh dear, I wasn't aware of how he received his injuries. They didn't assign him to me." Chakwas eyed her tentatively. "How bad was it on Earth?"

"Unimaginable. Enough chaos to grant me an emergency reinstatement."

After a long quiet and another loop of reports, Chakwas said, "I'm sure he's fine."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"How?"

"Call it a hunch. Or one of your little 'gut feelings', you might say. You know how he is. It would take an awful lot to slow him down."

"The Reapers are an awful lot."

"I'd be willing to wager a bottle of Serrice Ice on him to be the last turian standing."

While she plotted a way to pry Chakwas from the hospital's payroll, another woman approached. Short and petite with stunning green eyes and red hair, she held out her hand for a greeting. "Commander Shepard. I am Doctor Chloe Michel. I believe we've met before."

"Ah, right. You helped us to find Tali."

"Yes. You and Garrus saved my life that day. How is Garrus?"

Ellure shook the sweat and dust encrusted waves of her own hair out of view. "He returned home to Palaven."

"Oh, that is… upsetting. I have seen the recent reports."

"Yeah..."

"I had written to him on several occasions when I heard about his grand crusade to fight the Collectors with you. He never responds to my letters. Maybe I have the wrong address, yet he is always busy. Such a passionate soul."

"Yeah..."

"Would you happen to know of a way that I may contact him?"

"Yeah... I mean, no. Actually I don't at the moment. I haven't spoken to him in - awhile."

"Oh." Michel frowned and folded one arm to tuck under her ample breasts. Covering her glossy painted lips with a medical glove, she said, "You know Dr. Chakwas?"

Ellure wondered how a doctor had time for such prettying extravagances. "Actually we were just discussing her employment. We have a position available on the Normandy-"

"Really?" The doctor's eyes lightened. "I've never served on a space vessel before."

Ellure nodded knowingly. "Dr. Chakwas has a lot of experience working on one. I'm sure she could tell you all about it. Actually, I was just about to ask if she'd like to fill our open slot."

Michel appeared disheartened. "I'm sure she will be a wonderful asset. She is well experienced."

"I would be honored." Chakwas replied.

Michel peered past them to a clock on the wall. "It is time for me to check in on my patients. It was nice to see you again, Commander."

"Same."

As Dr. Michel disappeared into the sterilization corridor, Chakwas said, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Joker's still on board."

"And I'm sure no one has been making sure he takes his meds." Chakwas shook her head. "I'll go ahead and gather my things."

"Docking Bay D24." Ellure paused, then added, "I've missed having you around. Could have really used you after Mars."

"Jeff got him here in time." Chakwas' smile was comfort in itself. "I'll see you on the Normandy then?"

"I'll be sure to check in with you, but first I have to meet with the Council."

"Good luck, Commander."

"Thanks. We're all going to need it."

* * *

An urgent knocking on steel riled him from his futile attempt for rest. Sleep had become nothing more than a treasured pastime. At this point he was merely lounging in armor and going through the motions.

Garrus sprung off the cot and gripped his rifle. Pushing open the oppressive door to his bunker, he said, "What's our status?"

The soldier fell into stride and walked with him through the center of camp. "The main communications tower is disabled."

"Again? What is going on down there?"

"We've sent a total of four squads and two platoons. Each has been overrun in a matter of days. They aren't concerned enough to send a Destroyer, but they've made sure we're kept busy. The repairs are constant, but I'm afraid all of our men are dying out there. Quickly."

Garrus halted beside a stack of supply crates. After mashing one hand down his face to stall for thought, he gripped the front of his armor and rolled out his neck. They needed a strong, capable leader and a squadron able to keep those engineers alive. So far, they hadn't found one.

He plucked at the netting covering the crates of recently delivered ammo and food rations. They didn't have the resources to diverge from the skies. Maybe it was time to recruit elsewhere. "What's your rank?"

"Initiate. Nikkel."

"Spirits, they can't even send me a... never mind. Get me in contact with the Migrant Fleet's Marine Division."

"Sir?"

"Find me a strong group of fresh technical engineers. Arm them with anything your group can spare, but don't send them out till I give the order."

The youthful turian saluted before sprinting away. Palaven was a burning star shining to fade.

Garrus marched up the ramp and raised his voice. "General Corinthus." The vibrating howl of reaper cries was becoming part of the normal atmosphere.

"Vakarian, sir." Corinthus nodded deferentially as he kept a steady hand to his work. "More are arriving each day."

_They only needed to glance toward their planet for confirmation of that_, Garrus thought. "Any news regarding the other Council races?"

"Negative. We're cut off. Primarch Fedorian was attempting to contact Councilor Sparatus. He was putting in a formal request for Palaven's aide. That tower is being swarmed relentlessly. I've already sent out another regiment to get it back up."

"I know a guy who can get the job done."

"Good. It's the main link for the Hierarchy now. We need that line open. I hope he's sharp. I've lost too many men down there." Corinthus looked up from his station. "General Victus is requesting to make another push at dawn."

"You can count me in."

Corinthus nodded and reverted to the holographic table blinking with green. "Looks like our communications are coming back online. I'll go ahead and notify him."

Garrus leaned his elbows on the shelter's side partition and tried to clear his stream of ticking worries. The sky was littered with turian fighters, reapers, the whirring of Thanix cannons and particle beams.

He just kept telling himself she was safe. It had been six months since he last saw her face to face. Six months since he'd received her last letter. Given his unsaid promotion, Garrus had spent the time butting heads with his own Hierarchy to build up some sort of resistance. It kept him active, but not distracted.

He smoothed the pad of his thumb over his talons. Where was she? Surely they wouldn't be leaving her locked away somewhere in the middle of a reaper invasion. Knowing her she'd be on the front lines throwing every variant form of human insult that she could muster, with or without the Alliance's backing. Though he hoped that wasn't the case.

Keeping his head clear was impossible. Garrus recounted his sparring conversation with Taylor in regards to Shepard's resilience. _Be there to pick her up when it's all said and done_. The only way to do that was to keep breathing. One day after the other.

Maybe those two years of wandering had its pay off. Archangel had the ability to do something Garrus couldn't. Lose himself in his work.

Initiate Nikkel came striding up with a receiver box strapped to his chest. "Sir! I've got the Marine Division's official operator on the line. I would make it quick. Transmission is scratchy."

He nodded and strapped on the headset attached to the device. "Garrus Vakarian speaking on behalf of Palaven's Reaper Task Force." He listened to her huffy response and continued, "I understand that you are all facing your own issues at this time, however, I'm looking for someone. A friend. Personal matter... Yes, I am aware that this is not the best form of contact for personal calls."

After letting this snide quarian have her tirade, he cleared his throat and pressed his urgency. "I don't give a damn what your superiors have told you. Get me in contact with Kal'Reegar... No, I don't know the rest of his... Yes... Well, how many Kal'Reegar's could you possibly have?"

A Harvester shrieked and swooped into the camp. He forced Nikkel behind the partition while its wing clipped the roof. Corinthus swore as a transmitter rolled across the floor.

Waiting for a voice on the other end to respond, Garrus knelt down, pulled his rifle, and steadied his aim. He fired three rounds before the eyesore faded from the crosshairs.

After popping in a fresh clip, Garrus stood and holstered his M-98 before yanking the rattled youth back up by his armor. While Corinthus set out to gather his fallen tactical necessities, he discovered the testy quarian had connected him to the right man. "Kal. I'm cashing in on that favor you mentioned... I need your help."


	3. Connections

**This is a work of fan fiction from all Mass Effect games owned by EA and Bioware. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or the Mass Effect universe. My thanks to Bioware and EA for creating an amazing story with characters we have all come to know and love.**

* * *

**Chapter 03: Connections**

_Muscle versus steel. _

_Organic versus inorganic. _

_A tale as old as time._

The tumultuous scraping in the shuttle bay ceased as Ellure hunched over the top of the oversized luggage crate, savoring the metallic coolness to the side of her face. "Sweet Jesus, Liara, what is in here?"

"Just the essentials."

"Essentials?" She erected her posture to stare at the sinister new resident. "A ton of bricks?"

Arms folded, Liara smiled. "You're whining, Shepard."

"I don't whine. I inform people of their eccentricities."

Pristine blue eyes did an animated roll. "Maybe you need to tone up a little. You seemed winded after our race to the archives."

"Not. Nice." Observing the reckless lieutenant and his dangling workout routine, Ellure slapped her palm to the lid. "What am I doing? I'm the commander of this ship. James! Get your sweet ass over here."

Liara's mouth hung open. "Since when do you talk to your crew like that?"

"Since this guy came aboard."

James released his exercise bar to join them. "Lola. Blue." he greeted.

"Blue?" Liara recoiled. "I know it has been awhile since I've been on the Normandy, but... Blue?"

"Not a fan of Blue then? All right. Doc it is."

Ellure laughed at Liara's cynical glare and stepped aside. "Okay, James. We need to get this lady's belongings to her cabin."

He cracked his knuckles. "Yes, ma'am. Let me show you two how it's done." Shoulder jammed to the side of the box, he leaned into it.

The cargo screeched along the grated flooring and Liara jumped to the side as it traveled up to the elevator. As the doors slid open, James halted and began checking the sides. "Uh... It's too big."

Cocking her head and studying the precarious situation, she said, "Liara. What exactly is in here? Can't we cut back a few crates?"

James' eyes expanded with the news. "Cut back? How many are there?"

"Eight." Liara propped one shoulder on the elevator's frame.

"Oh man..."

Ellure sighed in concurrence. "How did you have time to get these?"

"Feron dropped them off." Liara began twisting her fingers.

She audibly gasped. "When was this?"

"While you were talking with Udina. How did that go?"

"Hey! No one is allowed to change topics around here except for me. Back on track, what is all this?"

"It's everything I salvaged off the Shadow Broker's ship before we crashed it into a Cerberus Cruiser."

James glanced to her and pointed to Liara. "Who is this?"

"That's not the important question here, Lieutenant. The important question is - who's putting all of this together?"

Liara smiled.

Ellure frowned. "Crap."

* * *

"Hand me the network access cable."

"The what?" Ellure answered, hooking up the first monitor from her post on the floor.

"I'll get it myself. It'll be safer that way." Liara crossed the XO's former room and began digging through a box of wires by the door. "I thought you were an experienced tech?"

"That's a common misconception. I was just crafty enough to pass my classes. I only retained the parts I thought were important."

"The parts that involved fire, destruction, sneaking, and hacking?"

"Exactly. Those were important."

While Liara continued her cable search, Ellure fussed over a small steel box she discovered resting in the middle of the floor. "What's this thing?"

"Be careful that you don't activate it. It's Glyph, and if released, it'll be attempting to standardize EDI's tasks to the Shadow Broker's ship specifications... again. I need to get everything in order so I can confine it to this cabin."

She carefully set it back down.

"Here it is." Liara waved a large cord, uncoiled it, and began laying it along the base of the wall. "I plan to position all the data feed monitors up here, and then we can put my research terminal and Glyph's station behind you."

Ellure dug one elbow onto her kneecap and squished her cheek on her fist. "I don't know why you asked me to help you with this. Samantha would be better suited."

"I asked you to join me because of today's events." Liara paused, then added, "Because of Kaidan, Garrus, your meeting with the Council… I thought we could talk about it."

"What's there to talk about?"

"Plenty." Liara dusted her hands. "Someone needs to clean up this room a little. The Alliance stripped it, but apparently never took the time to sweep it."

"There are holes in the walls in some areas. It could be worse."

Liara reached for her hand. "Why don't we take a rest?"

Ellure latched onto her grip. "I'm game." Following to the back of the room, she passed into a small alcove furnished with a bed, two couches, and a lovely single cup coffee maker. _Why couldn't she have one of those?_

Liara flicked on the machine and steaming water dripped into a mug. "I owe you a hot chocolate."

"I'm not so sure my stomach can handle it." she said, plopping onto a couch and curling her legs to the side as she eased her upper body weight onto the armrest. "So what is it you're really itching to know?"

"Shepard, it is exactly what I've already stated."

"Are you trying to be my shrink?"

"No! By the Goddess, I know better than that." Liara settled across from her with legs crossed and swinging her foot. "It has to be eating at you."

"I'm fine."

"How did you know what I was referring to?"

"Because everyone thinks I'm on the verge a damn meltdown around here. It wasn't hard to guess. In the middle of the hospital, Joker was offering to fly us there to pick him up."

"Our next stop is Palaven though?"

"Not exactly. Councilor Sparatus wants us to round up Primarch Fedorian from Menae, and I'm supposed to set up a summit with the Council races after that. Me, the gun wielding miscreant, is playing politician. And for what? To build a damn prothean weapon that we don't even know what to do with."

"We've got a great start."

"Liara. We're kids playing with a loaded gun. What if it backfires?"

"That would be... terrible."

She fired her finger gun and blew away imaginary smoke. "Bingo."

"But the Reapers are going to do worse than that."

"Either way we go out with a bang," she harped. Liara removed the mug from its hotplate, pulled open a cabinet drawer, and shook a packet of chocolate mix. Ellure stared in disbelief. "You mean to tell me, that all this time, you've been using _a mix_?"

Liara smiled and tapped the base of the packet as she poured. "I told you it was easier than you thought."

"Touché… Wait. Even Tali's?"

"Of course."

"And I thought I knew you. Our entire friendship is based off a lie! A lie of chocolate sweet deceit!"

"Quit being so dramatic." Liara handed her the concoction. "Drink it before you collapse from exhaustion."

Unable to resist, Ellure sipped of the beverage fraught with bribery. The warm sweetness wasn't enough to steal recognition away from Liara's lingering gaze. "Just spit it out, Ms. T'Soni."

Liara rubbed her upper arm undecidedly. "I'm worried about you. That's all."

"Not that I don't doubt all of your concern, but I'm getting a vibe here."

"There's a prothean artifact."

"Here we go."

"No, now, hear me out. It's on Eden Prime."

She arched one brow. "And you want it."

"Well... yes."

"Can it wait till after we hit Menae? I'm sort of in the middle of a war and such."

"Absolutely." Liara excitedly clasped her hands together and drew closer. "But not for too long. Cerberus has unearthed it."

Moving her feet to the floor, Ellure made room for her exuberant friend to sit. "Cerberus is after it?"

Following a bounce, Liara balanced on the edge of her perch, barely able to contain her excitement. "I think it may be of some use to us. It very well could contain info on the catalyst for the Crucible."

"Maybe it's a gigantic battery. _Yay, more large objects to drag onto the Normandy_…"

"You need to sleep. The sarcasm is tickling me to death."

"You are fighting sarcasm, with sarcasm."

"Am not."

Ellure tucked her chin to her shoulder, using her eyes to convey her skepticism. "Uh-huh."

The doors hissed open preventing further bouts of irony as Joker walked in. "Commander, I found something you may want to take a look at." He sidled around the box of wires and began snaking his way through the mess. "What the shit is all of this?"

Liara dashed upright. "Watch out for-"

The toe of Joker's boot bumped the small metallic box they had left in the only cleared area of the floor. A sphere whirled to life and bobbed around him. "Greetings, unknown sapient life form. Do you wish for me to rectify this ship's tasks to optimum capacity?"

Joker froze mid-step, arms raised as if under threat of a bullet from Liara's gaze alone. " Oops."

* * *

"How was I supposed to know about that?"

"Liara will get over it. She's just got a lot of stuff to sort through."

Joker passed through the kitchen and waved to Chakwas on their way to the main battery. "The doctor wants to see you later, by the way."

Shepard groaned, "I know..."

"Hey, don't give me that. You should have picked the _foxy_ little Dr. Michel and spared us the repetitive 'mom' routine."

"How did you know about that?"

"_Mom_." Joker unlocked the door and led her to a table on the immediate right side of the room. "She seems to think you didn't bring Michel because of her fondness for Garrus."

"Pffthppt. What? That's crazy. Chakwas was more qualified and you know it. Garrus isn't even here. What difference does it make?"

"A lot of differences, Ell. I could have had a hot piece of eye candy to visit me daily. I can never forgive you for this. Never. Ever."

"That eye candy only had eyes for Garrus."

"Ah-hah! You admit it!"

Shepard huffed and hitched one hip on the corner of the desk. "So why are you dragging me in here?"

Joker smiled, knowing full well this would brighten her day. "While waiting for you and Liara, I went on a majestic hunt and found something that belongs to you. Now, I don't want to speculate why it's in here, but I'm willing to bet the big guy was hoping to keep it out of Alliance fingers." Unlatching the rectangular crate, Joker flipped it open and stepped back to let her absorb the sight.

"My gear? All of it?"

"Looks like it."

"How come they didn't find it in here?"

"This thing's only been used as a chair. Plus it was difficult to open. Took me awhile to figure out the code."

"How did you crack it?"

"EDI."

"I should have guessed. There's no way you would have been able to pick the lock or hack it. Something like that takes skill."

Joker lifted his hat and smoothed down his hair. "That wasn't very paragon of you."

Shepard smiled and shoved his shoulder playfully. "Ass."

He smiled back. During Shepard's absence, he'd been making excuses for EDI and dealing with the Alliance vultures pecking apart his ship. Free flowing conversations with the commander were a welcomed bit of normalcy. He was even beginning to miss all his random visits from Goto. Although, he still felt the need to check the Citadel for missing parts. Even now.

"How did things go with Udina? I know you two are always super friendly. Lots of hugs and giggles there." That was a gentle way to broach the subject, he supposed.

"Well, we both agree on the basics. It's become a matter of getting the Council to help us."

"But they believe you now? Man, there is a ray of sunshine. After all the years they spent ignoring your warnings, they are finally able to admit the Reapers exist. And now they're just too busy to help."

"Pretty much."

"We should be hitting Menae shortly." He paused for internal debate, then plowed ahead, "You going to be okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine."

"You're sure?" Joker watched Shepard rub her eyes aggressively. "Maybe we can find out something about him while we're there. Or maybe even do an emergency pickup. Stealth drive is handy."

"Joker. He's fine. I'm fine. We need to defeat the Reapers. Simple."

He sighed. Getting into an in-depth girly emotional moment was not on his list of piloting to-do's, yet he opened his big ungraceful mouth anyways. "If we hear anything, ya' know… " _About Garrus' demise_, he omitted. "I'll let you know. I just wanted to say that I'm here for you. Not sexually. I know I'm a fine specimen, but… I can't see you that way."

Shepard sat on her knees next to the crate and began checking over her rifle and fine-tuning the scope. "As touching as that is, we can worry about our losses when it's all said and done. I appreciate the concern."

Joker nodded with relief. He'd rather get a sharp evasion than a weepy outpouring, but he had made the effort to be supportive. "Well, it's time for me to escape this." he said, gesturing to her form. "I need to get back to the bridge." He left toward the door, slow enough to lay the bait. "I still have nightmares about the last time I had to see your butt in the shuttle bay."

"Oh for crying out loud."

That acerbic tone was music to his ears. Sweet, sweet music. "_Is this love that I'm feeling_...?" He cut off his singing to glance back and catch Shepard shaking her head, disowning her enjoyment.

"Why me?" she mouthed silently before the doors swished closed.

* * *

The mechanical purrs of the Thanix cannon padded the warm air. With a hollow cinch in her chest, elbows stationed on her thighs, Ellure curled forward to grieve for her own uncertainty.

ID tags drifted out of her collar and clinked softly against the floor. Left in solitude, she found her release. Everyone else seemed so certain, why couldn't she feel that way?

Returning upright, she hit the case with the side of her fist. A corner of the strongbox caught on a notch in the grating and sent half of its contents clattering across the floor and under the desk.

"Damn it!"

_"Commander, do you require assistance? Dr. Chakwas is located in the medical bay if you would like for me to alert her to your distress."_

She snorted a laugh with a sob and wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. "No, EDI. Everything is fine. I... I'm just having a human moment. That's all."

_"Very well. Logging you out."_

"Hang on a second. How are the scans coming with the Cerberus android?"

_"Scans are still... inconclusive."_

She sighed. "Well, thanks for checking into it. Let me know if you come up with anything."

_"You're welcome, Shepard." _The blue lit sphere flickered away, leaving the room in a dark red glow.

Ellure adjusted the chain of her tags till they fell into proper alignment and got down to business, cataloging everything in a circle around her. This was all she had left. The few items she once owned were blown up at Alliance HQ. Not that she had much to begin with, but still, it was hers. A couple of pictures, her hair brush, his shirt...

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. They didn't know for certain what kind of state Menae was in. Once they had Fedorian maybe Joker would be able to swing by Palaven, but then again, she didn't even know where to begin looking.

Ejecting spiteful curses at the galaxy, she continued to sort. Everything seemed to be in perfect order. Mismatched wrist guards, an untouched Omni-tool, stiff new boots that needed to be broken in, and even the breastplate she couldn't pronounce were already set to go. Ammo and grenade holsters had been attached. No assembly for anything. Not even the hip holster that was ordered separately?

_Weird._

Examining the neatly placed assortment, Ellure recounted the evening she had last seen any of it. She was with Garrus after sharing goodbyes with Tali, Kal, and Kasumi following a night of drinks. Together they had hauled all of the afternoon's shopping expenditures back to the ship and into the shuttle bay.

Garrus had been looking over his new weapon, making personal tweaks to it and droning on about how many more kill shots he was going to rack up against her. Then she'd offered to put her rack against him. He was confused. She procured a sample. He whisked her to the elevator. She waited for the doors to close and-

"What the hell?"

There, at the bottom of the crate, slept her replacement Widow and a datapad.

[_Concentration mod is attached. Ha. Ha_.]

She smiled unreservedly. "That cocky son of a bitch…"

* * *

"Get those things the hell off my men!" Victus shouted.

Excruciating pain rippled through his shoulder as he fired another shot. Brutes. Seemed like a sensible name for such a creature. Sensible but sugar coated.

Garrus split off from the group, taking his heavy reaper squad to cover the right flank. From the heat readings, he counted at least five approaching from the gulley bleeding toward them. He had three, including himself.

M-98 holstered, he tossed proximity mines in their path. That should buy them enough time.

Sprinting to the sidelines, Garrus sucked in his breath and ignored the pull in his shoulder as he lifted his body up onto a chest high boulder. With his knees braced, he assisted the first of his men up, Corporal Chorik. Initiate Nikkel was too gun-ho for a shootout to see his beckoning hand. "Move up." he ordered, trying to call out over the growls and incoming bass of snarls.

Receiving no response from the green soldier, Garrus flattened onto his chest and began taking shots. They were too close for the scope. The tautly overstretched flesh of these creatures made him query their construction. If the Collectors were protheans...

Garrus' mandibles contracted.

_Body of a krogan, brains of a turian. One deadly combination._

After pitching extra mines, he switched to his Vindicator. Again he called to Nikkel after the mine blasts and the youth showed more clarity. He ran and leapt, grasping Garrus' wrist. He pulled the kid up as a brute smashed into the boulder, rattling their uneven platform. They had at least a four foot span to reach the upper ridge, give or take.

This wasn't the time for hesitations.

Garrus nodded to Nikkel and then to the gap. Extending a quick three strides, he cleared and hit the rocky outcropping to hang by one arm. He tossed his gun up next to Chorik, relieving his shoulder of stress, and swung one knee up to regain his leverage.

Back on solid ground, Garrus rolled away from the edge and collected his rifle. He rose and took aim, emptying the clip. They had two brutes remaining. He had one proximity mine.

Praying to the spirits, he skipped it to land between the monstrosities. Stepping back for detonation, he waited for the dust to land.

With the snarling ceased, he and Chorik crept to the brink and peered over. The targets lie motionless in a heap. Garrus dropped to sit and roll out his shoulder. "Still getting adjusted to using that damn rifle."

"Vakarian."

Garrus' stomach clenched. There was only one man beside him.

Corporal Chorik nodded toward the body, what was left, of Nikkel and said, "Waste. Always eager but too fool hardy to listen in the heat of combat."

The boulder was spent in crumbles. The initiate never made the jump.

Garrus rubbed his brow plate and with a resonated breath, stood. "Contact Victus. Tell him we've cleared this side."

"I've already tried. I can't contact him."

"What?"

"Must be another comm tower down."

"Spirits… We get the main tower back online and now the rest are falling."

"I'll keep trying." Chorik drifted in his walk, talking on a short range transmitter as they headed for camp.

Garrus cast aside a burned out heat sink and reloaded before slapping his assault rifle onto the back of his armor. How much longer could Menae hang on? Without it, Palaven would fall.

Kal'Reegar adamantly vouched his marines could keep the main tower online for the Hierarchy, and they had wasted no time in reclaiming it. From their brief exchange on the way to the tower, Garrus learned Tali had become an admiral. A surprising turn of events, but he suspected there was more regarding the Migrant Fleet's current dealings.

Kal had heatedly stated that the Flotilla was readying for war, but _not_ preparing for the Reapers. The marine seemed stressed by that.

Without further elaboration Garrus could only surmise what they would be preparing to fight.

_Geth_.

Trudging up the steep slope, he could see the guarded gate in the distance. How bad was it around the rest of the galaxy? Communications were sporadic with information. None of it concrete or precise.

Chorik broke the silence. "Any word on what will happen now that Fedorian has been lost?"

"My guess is, they'll pull out their long list of names and find the next man in line still able to walk, talk, and think for himself."

"Wasn't the primarch an old buddy of your father's?"

"He was. Good man. Good friend of the family."

"So how far down on the list are you?"

"Far enough to not be worth listing."

Chorik wavered in his strides. "The local tower is coming back online."

There was a speck of good news. He kept his pace and forward motion, passing through the heat of a fallen turian fighter meters away and still burning. "Glad to hear it."

"Just a moment."

Garrus stopped. He was afraid to hear the next words. Had Victus failed to reach the northern outpost, had the tower fallen again, or worse?

Chorik continued, "It seems we've received help from an outside source."

"Outside source?"

"All the local chatter is making it hard to confirm."

"What is it you're hearing?"

Swaying flames reflected in Chorik's gold eyes as he stared at the crash. Those eyes were known for two things-charming turian women and keen thinking. "Rather sketchy still. Though, I may be willing to part with some of this information…"

"Not for the price you're asking." Garrus said.

"I almost talked her into giving me her extranet address without your help. If I hadn't followed you out here to Menae, I might've had it by now."

"Solana isn't going to be charmed by your pickup lines. And that was years ago. She's transformed since then. Avoided your corruption."

"We'll see. I remember things differently." Chorik tilted his head, holding the transmitter closer. "Still haven't heard from her?"

"Not a thing."

Chorik nodded solemnly. "A small squad just appeared at the command base. It sounds like a spectre was sent by Councilor Sparatus."

"A spectre?"

"Yeah, apparently we're important now."

Garrus shifted in his stance and scratched the side of his face. "You're taking up my time here, Chorik. I know your old legs have trouble sometimes, but you're definitely slowing me down."

"I age like a fine wine. I may have a few miles on me, but I'll always be better looking."

"Okay then. The next time we hit the bar I'd be willing to put that theory to the test."

"Bet on it?"

"I'm done making bets with you."

"Why? Just because I make it a habit to never end up streaking down the main thoroughfare scaring the spirits out of everything within visual radius? Though, _if_ I ever lose a bet, I guarantee the reactions to me would be entirely the opposite. I wouldn't be detained, I'd be given proposals. At least nine. Maybe ten."

"Not one of my finer moments, nonetheless, I think you're _inflating_ a few expectations. Now. Who's the spectre?"

"You're getting pushier with age." Chorik fiddled with the dial and returned to listening. "Huh. You're not going to believe this, but they're saying it's a damn human. Commander Shepard."

His blood boiled cold. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. You know him?"

"Yeah. I know her."


	4. Jigsaw

**This is a work of fan fiction from all Mass Effect games owned by EA and Bioware. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or the Mass Effect universe. My thanks to Bioware and EA for creating an amazing story with characters we have all come to know and love.**

* * *

**Chapter 04: Jigsaw**

Liara exhaled with her accomplishment. The tower's feed signals danced of green, and she wasn't mangled by husks. It was an agreeable moment.

One foot after the other she climbed down the ladder to meet up with the commander and James. "Everything is back online."

"Awesome," said Shepard. "Now we just clear back to the camp and round up ourselves a new primarch. It's like a game show of survival. Whoever lives the longest gets to be the leader."

In the distance Liara spotted a mass of flame plummeting. "What is that?"

Helmetless James panted for oxygen and said, "Looks like a turian cruiser."

"Oh Goddess..." Even from here she could feel the vibrations of the crash. "Was it like this on Earth?"

Shepard's lips pressed into a narrow line. "It was probably double the forces you see here."

"I'm... I'm sorry, Shepard." _How difficult it must be to see your home so savagely torn apart_, she considered.

"What does it matter? The Reapers are attacking the galaxy and we have to plan a summit over tea and cookies." Shepard cocked her pistol. "Let's get moving. If we can't get the turians on board to help, things will be near to impossible." The commander executed incinerates and made short work of the husk resistance as she bolstered ahead.

James said to her, "Is she okay? I know Major Alenko mentioned her temper storms, but..." He wiped his forehead with the back of his armored hand. "I don't know. Seems different."

"We have a good friend on Palaven. She's worried."

"Oh, man. That's rough."

Liara jogged to keep up with their longer strides, listening to the whirring of particle beams and the pinging of distant turian fighters. "It's rough for everyone."

* * *

Garrus trekked toward the command base and left Chorik to his degeneracies. What was she doing here? How did she get out? So many questions he wanted to ask her, but most importantly, he needed to see her. To know she was okay.

The gate lowered and he swept over the scene, absorbing all movement. Chances were good she would have been sent to Corinthus.

Well-trodden dirt scuffled and scattered as he tried not to reveal his sense of urgency. This was the worst location of a reunion one could ask for.

He spotted an asari wearing a memorable white jacket. Liara was with her? And who was the other man? An unusual physical structure for a human. Looked to be Alliance.

Garrus listened to their conversation as he approached. She was here for the next primarch. He measured his gait and sauntered up the ramp, choosing to keep things professional. It had been a long time since he'd just heard her voice.

"I need someone. I don't care who as long as they can get us the turian resources we need."

"I'm on it, Shepard. We'll find you the primarch." he said, observing that muted surprise behind her fatigued eyes.

"Vakarian, sir." Corinthus saluted. "I didn't see you arrive."

"At ease, General."

"Garrus." He loved the sound of his name on her lips. "You're alive." Shepard stepped closer. She even smelled the same.

He kept himself solid and took her armored five-finger hand, encasing it with his. "I'm hard to kill. You should know that."

"Good to see you again. Thought you'd be on Palaven."

"If we lose this moon, we lose Palaven. I'm the closest thing we have to an expert on reaper forces, so I'm - _advising_."

Shepard flashed an uneven smile and beckoned the other human. "James, this is Garrus Vakarian. He helped me stop the Collectors. He's a hell of a soldier."

_Just a soldier?_ She was guarded. Garrus shook the man's hand firmly, eyeing the Alliance symbol on his breastplate. "Lieutenant. Good to see you too, Liara."

"Glad to see you in one piece, Garrus." With eyes welling, T'Soni seemed more worked up about seeing him than Shepard did.

While Corinthus explained the situation, Garrus kept his eye on the human behind her. He examined for any clues to their involvement with each other. Some sort of Alliance regulator to scrutinize her every move, or something further troublesome?

As the general and commander exchanged plans, he made his own assessment of the Lieutenant. No personal space invasion, no subtle shared glances, and this Vega was not giving him any overly attentive heed. Odds were the man was nothing more than part of new Normandy crew.

With Corinthus' instruction completed, Garrus exited the shelter, restocked his mines, and rested on a stack of netted supply crates, propping his arm over his rifle while Shepard and her squad discussed their next move. Victus was the new primarch. Unexpected.

After he answered any questions regarding Victus' record and whereabouts, he caught that indicative crinkle Shepard would create between her eyebrows when hearing bad news, something they had experienced a lot of. "What is it?"

Talking as if to her feet with hands on hips, she said, "I need that ship standing by. We may have to bug out." To him, she answered, "Joker's saying the Normandy is possessed."

"Should I go back and take a look?" said Liara.

"Do it." As Liara scurried away, Shepard regarded him. "Coming, Garrus?"

"Are you kidding? I'm right behind you."

"Time to track down Palaven's new man of the hour then." Her plated glove slapped his backside before she pulled out her rifle and marched away.

Vega gaped at him before turning to stare at Shepard, who didn't even look back. "Uh... what was that?"

"I'm not entirely sure." And that was a candid statement.

* * *

A thinly chilled breeze ruffled her hair as they passed through the gateway and immersed into Menae.

By sheer chance they had found each other. Garrus was alive. No matter how badly she wanted to throw her arms around his neck and feel the way his hardened body breathed against hers, Commander Shepard had expectations to fill. She was here to storm the trenches and bring home turian support. She was most certainly not supposed to be executing romantic displays of affection.

Not too many, anyways.

Her stiff soles grinded against the landscape and filled her void of conversation while James and Garrus prattled on about the Genophage. The road of discussion drifted into a need for krogan and batarian backing. Where's the meat? Simple. Toasted in the Viper Nebula, no thanks to her.

She listened to his steady strides. From now till she left Menae, there was no need to check over her shoulder and worry about the company on her heels.

She glimpsed to Palaven's clusters of burning cities and slowed to a stop. "Garrus."

He braked beside her. "Hmm?"

"What about your family?"

"I haven't heard from them since before Taetrus fell."

"I'm sorry. I wish I had something more profound to say than that."

"I know." He drew quiet as they stared at Palaven, then continued, "It's this way, Shepard."

She shadowed with James, giving Garrus lead, something he had obviously grown more accustomed to in her absence.

Exhaustion was lacing its way through her, but viewing Garrus' home on the horizon she knew her mind wouldn't allow such a minor detail to have its say. Alongside of her, the lieutenant carried another questioning expression.

"Spit it out, James."

"I was wondering about your wrist guard."

Ellure lifted the mismatched blue-camo piece of equipment for further inspection. "What about it?"

"Well, first off, why isn't it dark greeny-blue like the rest of your gear? Secondly, what's with the claw marks?"

"It's called teal, and I had my own reasons for not replacing it. As for the marks, I faltered. A little."

Garrus rasped a chuckle as he waited for them to catch up at the next bend. "A more accurate explanation would be that she was blasted by a gale force wind and knocked off a tower bridge. Some _damn turian _saved her ass."

James said, "All right. I'm going to probably hate myself for this, but, Lola, why were you molesting this guy?"

"Molesting?" Ellure choked on her shock. She couldn't remember doing much of anything even remotely like that.

"I'm not stupid. I saw that man-handling moment back there." James hitched his head toward the camp behind them.

"Jealous much, James?"

"No way. I'm just - curious, I guess."

"I'm not really sure what that was. Maybe I couldn't help myself."

James mocked her declaration with a sniff. "You couldn't help yourself from him, but you can resist me?"

"Don't take it personal."

"How can I not? You're basically saying that you find this turian, whose obviously had half of his face blown off, _no offense_, more attractive than me."

Looking over the familiar long-limbed gait and catching Garrus' piqued interest in this conversation, she said, "Well... Yeah. I guess I do."

James' sculpted brow furrowed. "How did this happen? No woman can resist me."

"Oh brother," she said with dramatic flux. "Your ego may be even bigger than his."

James halted. "Whoa now. _This_ is the other egomaniac? Did you have a thing with this guy too?"

Ellure surveyed a narrow split in the trail. After Garrus jumped across, she distinguished his heightened concern as he gave them a sideways glance. She could explain the Kaidan catastrophe at another time, if she got one. "James, do you hear me asking you about every detail of your personal life?"

"No."

"So why are you asking about mine?" She jumped the gap and left him scratching his head. Covering the mic to her visor, she whispered, "How long do you think we can toy with him?"

Garrus' mandibles flared a smile. "That depends on how difficult it is for you to keep your hands to yourself."

Warmed by his gaze, Ellure limited her smirk and readjusted the mic. "And so it begins."

* * *

Having cleared the northern outpost upon arrival, Garrus leaned back against the barricade, rolling and stretching his sore shoulder. Shepard cocked her head and honed in. "What's the matter?" she said, propping one hip beside him. "Starting to show your age, Garrus?"

"I'm still younger than you."

"I see. Now you _want_ to be younger than me? The last time we had this conversation you were trying to prove otherwise."

"Why ruin a good thing?"

One of her eyes tapered in dispute. "Uh-huh."

Vega squared his shoulders, taking a determined stance before them. "How old are you, Lola?"

"Wrong question, James."

"How old are you, Scars?"

"Old enough to have accomplished and failed at a lot of different things." he said.

Vega growled, "I've never seen so much evasion and denial before."

"Evasion of what?" said Shepard.

"Everything. Especially this," Vega said and waggled his finger to the few inches of empty air between them. "Whatever this is, I can't decide. I'm getting mixed signals! You could be friends. You could be some sort of interspecies thing going on here. Or... you could be messing with me. You're both messing with me aren't you?"

"Are we messing with him, Garrus?"

He scratched his left mandible and planned the next move. "Hard to say. You do look really good today, Shepard."

"You lie," she said, smacking his arm in clear-cut flirtation.

"Nah, that's your department."

"Okay," Vega cut in. "I got this figured out now. Friends with benefits after an awkward night of drinking?"

"He's definitely getting warmer," he goaded, "but still not quite right."

"Have you ever kissed the commander?"

Garrus peered down to Shepard. She shrugged. "Look at me." he said, gesturing to his prominent facial features. "I'm a turian. Does it seem like I do a lot of kissing?"

"This is loco," Vega groaned. "Have you two ever slept together?"

Shepard straightened and distanced from him. "Of course. Sometimes you have to share a bed when placed in a do or die situation. I mean, this guy," she said while pointing, "is like a furnace. Good for the cold nights."

"You're welcome," he added. Pointing back to her, he said to Vega, "There's something wrong with her feet's ability to retain heat. She should have that checked out."

"I didn't mean actual sleeping!"

Shepard laughed. "Calm down, James. Your neck is pulsing."

"I... I just need some air." Vega set off and roamed, leaving them in solitude.

Garrus unclasped his glove to hook on his belt and used the back of his finger to brush away some of the fallen strands of hair near her eyes. "You're going to have another discontented member of your team if you keep this up."

"I doubt it. He was going to jump ship when we hit the Citadel. Earth was-" Shepard exhaled in a sharp gust. "Difficult to leave behind. But after seeing the ignorance of the Presidium populace and the Council collective? He changed his mind."

"A man of action. That I can understand."

"Yeah... Just like Anderson." Shepard drudged toward an outcropping overlooking battle torn Menae.

Garrus followed. She seemed ragged. Hell, they were all ragged at this point. "Why is he so interested in your personal affairs?"

"Why is anyone so interested?"

He bent toward her ear. "Because you're a celebrity."

She rolled her eyes. "I'd rather not be. I'm just a soldier like any other."

"You hold more sway than you think," he said. "I know there's no one else I'll be betting my credits on to beat the Reapers. If anyone can do it, you can."

"I plan to give it my best shot."

"That's as good as winning in my book."

She folded her arms to huddle under her chest. "Your confidence in me is cute."

"Cute? That's something I don't hear often in reference to me."

"I didn't say _you_ were cute, I said your confidence in me was."

"Mean." As those dual toned eyes gave him their attention, Garrus ran his ungloved hand over the side of his face and down his neck. "The scars are starting to fade... I remember they drove you wild. I could go out and get all new ones if that's what it takes." Her voice sang with a laugh at his paltry joke. Yet, in some ways he probably meant it.

"I'm sure we'll get you some more before we're done."

"So you do like them? I've always had my suspicions."

"Did I say that?" He nodded and she nudged his arm with her shoulder. "Okay. Maybe just _a little_," she said, showing him a small gap between her thumb and finger. "Miniscule, really."

They stood in intimate silence as war raged around them. When she was gone, it felt like he was missing a piece of himself. But now that she was here? It was like no time had passed.

Shepard grimaced, and he followed her gaze to a turian fighter as it was fragmented by a Destroyer's beam. He touched her arm to pull her focus. "We should find Victus."

As he forced his steps away, a vibration electrified the ground. A plume of debris slammed into the center of camp. Soldiers dispersed into cover and gunfire began. Emerging from the smoke, a brute leaned on one grotesque hand and arched its spine to snap it straight.

Vega allied with a soldier and sought position to take shots at the turned marauders and husks. Caught in the open, Garrus hustled and skated into cover in one of many pockets of uneven terrain to ready his firearm.

Shepard suddenly called his name and _not_ in a way that he enjoyed.

Abandoning his undertaking to duck, he removed himself from concealment and watched in building ferocity as the beast charged straight ahead. For her.

Shepard jump rolled to avoid a direct hit. Reaching the end of its path, the brute clambered to decelerate, flipping onto its side. The ground quailed with its weight. Skidding and careening, the brute's distended legs and arms were demanding to gain traction. It was too close.

Garrus was already in motion as Vega leapt over a shelter's partition. Shepard was getting to her feet as the brute's back leg snagged hers. They both went over.

Dropping onto his chest, he gripped the ground with his unarmored hand, digging his talons into the hardened surface. Pebbles sifted through his fingers as he floated up to the drop off.

Shepard hung on a small stone pockmark by the tips of her gloves. One hand slipped, powdering the soil.

He grasped her forearm as slender fingers struggled to find a hold. His shoulder screamed under the strain. Vega knelt with his back to the shelf and began opening fire on the additional reaper forces racing up from behind.

Shepard latched onto his elbow as she lifted her boots to press against the rock and remain out of the awakening brute's reach. "What the fuck is that?"

The monstrosity reversed and lined up to charge. Riddled with visions of Nikkel's fate, he could answer her question about that later. First, he had to keep her alive. "Shepard. Hold tight."

"Kind of already doing that." She worked her other hand to seize an indention in the rock face.

"Tighter then." Garrus braced his body and kept his talons notched into the gravel. As long as his shoulder held her weight, this would turn out okay. He wouldn't permit any other outcome.

It charged. Vega sidestepped as the brute hit the base of the cliff knocking loose a chunk of Menae below Shepard's feet. "Let's not lose you over this, Lieutenant. Keep firing to hold them off." he said.

Vega nodded, steering clear of the edge and only pausing to change thermal clips.

To Shepard, he raised his voice over the deep snarls and gunfire. "I can't pull you up alone. You're going to have to climb, but not till I say."

"Yes sir, Mr. Vakarian." she shot back.

"Hey, Jimmy Vega. In my left hip holster is a stock pile of proximity mines. Drop one directly below her. We're going to kick her up."

Vega kept one hand firing as the other began searching. "This day is getting more awkward by the minute."

"It'll be more than awkward for you if I drop her."

"Point taken." Vega pulled back. "Got it."

"Right below her." he ordered.

After the blinking mine dropped, Garrus locked onto Shepard's eyes and reiterated, "Not till I say." She bobbed her head once for acknowledgement. To Vega he said, "Get ready to grab her incase this goes sideways."

Shepard's lips parted with an inaudible gasp. "Don't let him go over, James."

"You two can argue over who gets to fall to their death after this is over." Vega kept his sights on the incoming rush. "We better get this right on the first try. I can't pledge more time."

Garrus held rigid. The brute kicked up a cloud of grey dust and stampeded. As its head hammered the chipped away wall, the mine detonated. "Now!"

With her knees tucked to her chest, Shepard pushed off. Dirt and rock clouded his vision, and the peppering of Vega's rifle ended.

As the dust cleared he saw Vega grab her free hand, yanking her up onto stable ground and easing the burden on his shoulder. Garrus released and rolled onto his back to breathe, coughing on the falling dust. Liquid fire spread through his limb. "That was a little closer than I'd like."

Shepard ripped an inferno grenade from a holster on her Hahne-Kedar breastplate and lobbed it amongst the encroaching amble of husks. Flames bounced across the ground, setting off a chain of the enemy's discontented screams.

With a strained laugh through the pain, he said, "Glad to see you pulling your own weight."

"How's your arm, Grumpy?" she shouted, drawing her rifle.

The attempt to move it sent a sickening surge of nuisance. "Not good."

"All right. James, get him up. I'll take care of these and get Victus. Contact Cortez to pick us up. This time we have a doctor that can patch him."

Garrus lifted his good arm to hook around the back of Vega's neck and was drawn upright. The gravity on his shoulder was worse than expected.

Holding in the aversion to his own body, he watched Shepard set to work firing and reloading with haste. Three clean headshots so far.

The waves of Shepard's hair moved in harmony to her actions. Her smooth alien face dusted with the sands of Menae, she shouted random expletives at an inactive turian before dropping to one knee and reloading. She was stunning.

"In answer to your earlier question, Lieutenant - yes."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that now." Vega followed her cleared trail and brought up his Omni-tool. "Hey, Esteban. Can you get a fix on us? The commander is seeking extraction." Continuing to support him, Vega said, "You plan on coming with us, '_Grumpy_'?"

"Definitely."

Vega nodded. "Bring the brick. Four to pick up." Nearing Shepard and Victus, Vega said to him, "Sounds like their still having trouble with the Normandy."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Don't know. Probably a virus."

Garrus shook his head. "A virus? With EDI? Doubtful."


	5. Settling In

**This is a work of fan fiction from all Mass Effect games owned by EA and Bioware. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or the Mass Effect universe. My thanks to Bioware and EA for creating an amazing story with characters we have all come to know and love.**

* * *

**Recommended Listening for Scene 3: **_White Coats,_ by Foxes

* * *

**Chapter 05: Settling In**

"You're in no position to help. I've got everything under control, and besides, I'm sure it's nothing serious." Shepard took her business pose while Dr. Chakwas glared at him.

"Nothing serious? We're dead in the water here." Garrus hooked one ankle over the other and pressed his hips back into the medical table as Chakwas inspected his left shoulder. He swallowed a flinch. "Why not take someone with you as a precaution?"

Shepard gave him a calculative once over. "If it'll get you to cooperate, then it's a deal."

Using Joker's wink-and-the-gun for flare, he said, "Deal."

A begrudging tromp out to the mess-hall and Shepard returned to take post by the AI Core. With a good solid minute of no action, and continual prodding from the doctor, he asked, "Where's your assistance?"

"Apparently there is 'procedures'." she said, marking quotations.

"Turians must have a high level of pain tolerance, or an innate ability to be oblivious." Chakwas left and began digging through the overhead cabinets. "You've dislocated your shoulder. This is going to take more than a few pain meds."

"See what happens when you try to save people instead of letting them handle it themselves?" Shepard said, striding closer, glancing past his shoulder as she leaned in. "But I'm glad you did." She skimmed her fingers over his scars and kissed him.

He clutched the mattress in constraint. If Chorik had sat him down during their final year of boot camp and told him of the pleasure involved in human courtship activities, he'd have laughed his way to the grave. But experience changes everything. And change was good.

Resting her cheek against his mandible, she whispered, "Thank you."

"Anytime." A trace of touch remained as she backed away. "Did you like the gift I left you in the battery?"

"Yes, I did. It was very sweet of you to go to the trouble."

"Bonus points?"

"All right, bonus points for that one." Shepard flushed and sucked in her bottom lip, poorly hiding a grin as she glanced out the window of the med bay.

He smiled, not for his ingenious gift or for the fact she added points to his tally, but because he was pleased he still had that effect on her.

Shepard rerouted her attention, one brow raised high, as two Alliance entered. Stone-faced, they passed him. One knelt before the door and the other took a wide stance, both armed with canisters and hazard masks. The core opened and smoke fogged through the room.

Chakwas returned covering her nose with the crook of her elbow and coughing. "Good heavens."

One of the men took the initiative to begin dowsing the flameless room with a fire extinguisher. Shepard shooed him out of her way. "That's enough. Spare us the extra cleanup." To the man kneeling, she said, "If you even attempt to do that, you're going to have a bad day."

The second soldier stood and refrained from contribution.

A tempered clicking echoed in the shadows. Garrus' jaw muscles loosened as a platinum human-shaped synthetic approached Shepard. He said to Chakwas, "What am I looking at?"

"The reason Major Alenko is in the Huerta Memorial Hospital." she replied, tugging at a medical glove.

"I have a lot of catching up to do…" And a few questions that needed answering, he decided.

Shepard dismissed the extra help and rejoined them, turning her back to the android. She was getting rather comfortable with synthetics, for someone who was out to erase them from the galaxy after Eden Prime.

The machine followed, cocking its head as it observed him. His body tensed into full alert. "Officer Vakarian," it chimed.

"EDI?"

"Yes." She straightened her posture and shuffled her feet to perfect balance. "I have assimilated into Dr. Eva's body."

"You can stop there. That's all I need to know."

"Very well then." EDI smiled. "I will allow the doctor to correct your damages." To Shepard, she merely stated, "Jeff will want to see this."

He gaped in bafflement as the AI "walked" out of the room.

"Joker's going to have a field day with this." said Chakwas.

"You can say that again." Shepard tousled her hair and tucked it behind her ears. "So how long will he be out of commission?"

"One day." he replied, observing as several short strands of wine-red sifted right back toward her eyes.

"Wasn't talking to you."

Chakwas revealed a tightlipped scowl at his proclamation. "After he's been prepped and sedated, I can further assess the extent of his injury. Even with limited damage to the tendons I can return it to its natural state, but he'll have to prohibit his use of weaponry."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that last part? I think I may have some hearing loss. Lots of explosive noises lately."

"Vakarian, the extensively harsh strains you've put on your shoulder were thorough. You need time for the ligaments to correct and heal."

"Put it back and I'll be on my way."

Shepard's palms forced him to look only at her. "Hell no."

"You two are over thinking this. Don't even knock me out."

"At least take some local anesthetic." she said, clipping her pitch.

Impersonating, he said, "_I got this_."

"You did not just…"

"Oh I just."

Chakwas exhaled and set an empty syringe on her desk. "Have it your way then."

"You can't condone this!" Shepard said, releasing him and turning her frustration on the doctor.

"Don't even try to take that tone with me, Commander. I'm not one of your squaddies. This is my med bay, and this is my patient. I suggest you leave the room."

"Unbelievable." She marched to the exit and halted.

A few under the breath curses, and her eyes softened. She shook her head and appeared to have reached some sort of conclusion to an unspoken personal debate.

Shepard returned.

"You don't need to stay," he suggested and stationed his calves as Chakwas began prodding the tender skinned areas of his shoulder.

"Nope." Shepard lifted his hand and kissed the back of it. "I got this."

* * *

Joker breathed deeply of relief as the Normandy stabilized. Relief smelled exactly like nervous perspiration. He should probably shower after they got out of here. "All systems are go, Commander."

"_Thanks, Joker." _Her voice was edgy.

"Everything okay down there?"

"_Kinda busy at the moment_."

"Mmm-kay." _Forget I asked_.

Rapping his fingers on the armrest, he stretched his legs under the station and stared at the calm console. Shouldn't they be leaving Menae? Seems like one would be asking for trouble if they were floating lazily about in the middle of a full scale Reaper assault. Stealth drive's not perfect. They could look over and see them.

Do Reapers look around? Do they have eyes? That'd be creepy. Reaper eyes. What if their particle beams were considered eyes? That's some awesome comic book shit right there.

"Jeff."

"Hey, EDI! There you are. Scared me for a minute there. What happened? Too many searches on the extranet?" He glanced beside him to see no blue holo. "Is there something wrong with your programming?"

"All of my systems are currently running at optimal capacity."

"Good. I'd hate to have to go ask Liara for help with that."

"There have been a few hardware changes."

"Hardware? You mean the overheating in the AI Core? I'm sure it's fine."

"Jeff…"

"EDI…"

It was then he felt a cold stare at the back of his head. A stare that he imagined the commander would make when he'd accidentally offended her, but wasn't aware of it because he never could understand women. Even though Shepard wasn't a normal female, she still carried many of their confusing tendencies. Luckily, that was Garrus' problem now.

He swiveled to see his company and all of the oxygen dissipated from the room. Forget Dr. Michel. From this day forward he would forgive Ell for casting aside that occasional eye candy. She brought him something better.

"Is everything okay, Jeff? Shepard said this body may frighten some of the crew."

"No, I, uh…" _Am stuttering over your scorching body and gawking at my words_. "It's excellent. Here. Sit here." he said, indicating to the co-pilot seat. "You can stay right here and keep me company."

"I wanted to finish testing out this platform." EDI bowed back her arms, sticking out her amazing chest and stretching.

This was a good day. A very good day. "Yeah. Sure. But don't be gone for too long. I'm going to need this," he said, outlining the hourglass, "to remain within my sight. It'll make for an excellent morale booster and can help to fill in this lonely cockpit." _Poor choice of words, Joker._

"I will return after introducing this platform to the engineering deck and getting acquainted with the rest of the crew." EDI smiled sexily and left through the CIC.

Maybe it was his high level of stress hormones, maybe it was the uncomfortable tightness in his pants, maybe it was the dry spell he'd had for the past several years; but he could have sworn that AI's curvy robot body was swaying its hips with intent.

Wait a second. What did she mean by "getting acquainted"?

Joker rushed his gaze to the console. He was fantasizing about a robot. This was not good. If Ell found out, he was doomed. Especially after all his jabs regarding Legion, the unit.

He chuckled. _The unit._

Okay, that one was worth any incoming backlash.

* * *

Saturated in the elevator hum, she thunked the back of her head on the wall. The summit was to include the krogan. Commander Shepard was to convince them to help the turians, or there would be no assistance for Earth. The salarians had agreed to join, but the asari? Pulling the we're-too-busy-but-good-luck-with-that card.

Admiral Hackett wasn't faring much better. He'd sacrificed the entire Second Fleet in a last ditch effort to save the Third and Fifth. Meanwhile, he and Admiral Anderson were expecting her to bring home Council support! Even _if_ she could get everyone on board for the Crucible Project, would there be anything left of Earth to save?

Softly, she treaded across that grated steel hall. Garrus was waiting. How could she endure this again? His trip to Palaven for his family was difficult but doable, and after he'd surprised her for a weekend rendezvous, they were forced their separate ways once again. But this time? This time the galaxy was eating itself apart. This time may not have another reunion.

She passed the fish tank, amazed the Alliance had left it intact. It looked as empty as she felt.

Reaching the first step, she leaned against the dividing wall to her office recess. Garrus lounged, feet propped up on the coffee table, portable terminal in his lap, and shirtless with one arm in a sling. An image like that should evoke comfort, but he was tensed. Anxiously resituating his arm, drumming on the edge of the keyboard, and, of course, smoothing one hand over his head or down his face; Garrus displayed more than enough telltale signs.

"Hey," she said, chewing on her diminished thumbnail and alerting him to her manifestation as he flipped through un-translated messages. What does he do, wait a month or two before reading any? Unless they were from her.

She smiled briefly.

Following a double take, he said, "Hey. You're not going to do that hovering thing from now till forever, are you?"

"Do you want anything?"

"Is that a trick question?" He paused. She ignored the reference. "Not even a smile? Tough crowd."

"Sorry, I'm struggling to find the humor in this situation right now."

"You don't have to worry. It's a little sore, but I'll be back and ready for action in no time." He paused again to leave her an opening. "Nothing? That can't be good." Garrus lowered his feet to the floor and set the terminal on the table. "How's Victus settling in?"

"He's taken a strong liking to the war room. And you would have already known that had you not run off to do calibrations… _with a dislocated shoulder._"

He patted the open spot on his right. "Sit with me a minute?"

Ellure massaged her eyes, dreading the answer to her next question. "Don't you have go?"

"Go?" Garrus stilled.

"I came for the primarch, and if you need to get back down there, you should do it soon. The Normandy is ready to bug out, and Joker will probably start baking cakes soon if we don't get moving."

"Come here… Please?"

The natures of this request lured her to sidle past his legs and comply. This tone was the tone of an investigation, which put her on edge, in the most literal sense. Half of her ass wasn't even on the cushion.

"Is there something I should know about?" he said.

"Such as?"

A chipped talon drew a single uninterpretable pattern on the thigh of her denim. "You've been guarded ever since I first saw you on Menae, then again in the medical bay. Before you kissed me, you checked to see if anyone was paying attention… I can hardly believe that Chakwas would care about that."

Six fingers interlocked and draped between his knees as he continued. "Now I'm going to ask this only once. I understand that things are different around here, but you're still the same person. From what I've gathered in bits and pieces, Alenko's been back in your life… And-I…" He stood and paced. "I just wanted to be sure that you–scratch that-_if you_ still felt the same… about me."

Not quite the direction she expected for this conversation to go. Behind one stunned quiet laugh, she said, "You think I would go back to him?" That was insulting.

"He can give you things I can't."

"Like what?" she raised her gaze to his.

"A lot of things I'd imagine."

What could Kaidan possibly give her that Garrus hadn't already outmatched a thousand times over? "There's _nothing_ between me and Kaidan."

"Okay then." Returned to the couch, the slant of his weight caused her hip to rest against his outer thigh. "Why are you hesitant?" he said.

"It's not a matter of hesitation. It's a matter of controlling myself in public. Every turian down there is referring to you as 'sir'. Generals, even," she blurted. "Not all turians are fond of having a human spectre strolling in to steal their primarch to save her own race. Least of all, one that's dating you. Put me in a position to wonder if being with me would cause you some sort of repercussions."

"Let it. I don't give a damn."

"Really?"

"Definitely. So that's settled. You're not with Kaidan. You were hesitant on Menae because of other turians. Why hesitant in the medical bay? Alliance or embarrassed to be with me?"

She was floored. "You're kidding. That's what you think?" Turning toward him, she stressed, "Garrus, I've _never_ been embarrassed to be with you. I didn't want to cause you a situation for being with me. Victus, _the primarch _of _your _people, is wandering around as we speak."

He slumped back. "I don't know why that didn't occur to me." After a reflective chuckle, he said, "I suppose being away from you for so long, I feared the worst."

"Well you shouldn't. I don't have time to go around finding a new boyfriend. Too much work. Not worth the effort."

He swept her uncooperative hair aside with the back of his finger. "I'll worry about Victus. You worry about your summit." He wrapped one arm across her collar and hooked her back against his chest as he said, "You don't have to take this all on alone."

She rested her cheek against his taunt forearm as he held her, noting the lack of an answer regarding his departure. "What's with you?"

"Hmm?" He nuzzled against the tender skin below her ear.

Insecurity for a long gone scar crossed briefly. "You seem uptight. And different."

He withdrew, but kept the embrace. "After I heard what happened to you on Earth, I funneled everything into one ultimate goal. Fight to protect what's mine. Not much different than when I was cornered on Omega, in truth." His breathing fluctuated. "But when Taetrus fell… it was surreal. Like I was watching the events through someone else's eyes. I had no idea what happened to Solana, my father – or you. The only thing I had was the objective you'd asked me to follow through on."

"There's more to it than that. You seem like you're out to prove something."

"What if I was?"

"Then I'm interested to know what it is."

The curved plates around his musculature relaxed more with another laugh. "I suppose being with someone who's known across the galaxy as 'Commander Shepard' could leave a certain _damn turian _to feel the need to keep up."

"Ugh, don't call me that when we're like this."

He kissed the side of her head. "I'm not going."

"You're not?" She rotated to look up into his face. "Don't you have some sort of civic duty?"

"Absolutely, and the best way for me to save my world is to make sure you're in it. None of us can win this war singlehandedly, and it's my job to make sure you're able to do what you do best. After what I saw today? I'm not going anywhere."

She sighed, catching his allusion to her cliff mishap. "This is another one of those moments where I can't be sure if that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard or if you're making fun of me."

"I never make fun of you. Laugh at you maybe, but only with the best intentions."

"I bet."

She studied his strengthened expression. Eyes the same gun metal blue were wearied. The plated crest over his head was a slightly more crackled than she remembered, but the woven fabric of scars held their unchanged story. "You lied to me."

"When was this?"

"You said your scars were healing. I assure you they're not."

He smiled. "You caught me."

"Clever pick up line though."

"I wasn't sure about the protocol on reunions-"

"Fuck protocol." she said, darting upright. "Next you'll be arming yourself with a fire extinguisher for every puff of smoke. Sometimes you need to wing it." Ellure straddled his lap and cradled his face in her hands. "I can't begin to tell you how much I missed you."

"I'm sure you had plenty of stuff to do to keep you distracted."

"Nope. You were pretty insistent. Always pushing yourself to the front of my thoughts." She pressed her lips to his, listening to his intake. One strong hand slid up her spine.

Needing an intake of air, she tried to pull back unsuccessfully. Through squished lips she mumbled, "Nowth not the thime." She worked her hands to his chest and pushed back.

Undeterred, his tongue grazed to the edge of her jaw and down her neck without response. She tried to rally herself. "You're cheating! And injured!"

"Only my shoulder. I don't need that part."

"You are foul."

"I thought I was a dinosaur?"

"I don't even know how to respond to that."

"Then don't."

It was time to flip this renegade's shuttle.

She situated her fingertips against his mouth and herded him back farther. "If you bite my hand, I swear on my few remaining coffee beans that I will be forced to take decisive action." His chest rumbled. "Did you just growl at me?"

One shoulder lifted in a shrug. Suddenly, the pad of his thumb was wedging its way past her navel. She gripped his wrist. "If you plan on staying, you need to realize that there are Alliance rules to be followed."

His mandibles fluttered, and she removed her hand from his mouth. Garrus stretched his jaw, then said, "The Alliance's rules are an empty threat, and I think you owe me."

"For what?"

"For that introduction to Vega. Just a soldier? That's the best you could come up with? How about the love of my life, my wayward turian boyfriend, the guy that covers my ass better than anyone, or -my personal favorite- the hottest turian in the galax-"

She restricted his blathering for the next round. "Let's not get crazy here. Those all sound like kinky Valentine's Day greetings." Feeling that devilish thumb's second attempt, she removed his hand from between them and pinned it to the wall behind the couch. She whispered, "I'm disappointed you didn't pick up that reference. You need to step up your game, _soldier_."

His eyes widened as she released her lock. "Well if you had said it like _that_, there would have been less confusion. For both parties involved."

"Now where's the fun in that?" Ellure nudged his nose with hers. "Behave yourself." she said with a smile and started to dismount.

An arm enveloped her waist and tossed her shoulders back onto the leather seat cushions. One knee lifted to block her from rolling off the side, and he struggled to gather her contorted legs out of his way with the use of only one arm. She was flabbergasted. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry for the insubordination, but I saw this one coming long before you did."

"What?"

"You were going to try and scuffle out of here to get back to work."

"Well… yeah. That's what I do."

"Not today."

"But I-"

"Not today, Shepard."

"I have a few things to do so I can clear up my schedule. It's a win-win this way." She fought to prove her point as he lie beside her. "I get my ship and crew in order, plan my galactic tea party, visit the Citadel, _and then_ you're not allowed to leave my sight."

One gangly leg draped over both of hers and pulled her closer till they were entangled, one arm triangled to hold his head as he gazed down at her. His incapacitated arm, nesting on her hip, still stabilized in a white sling, was a completely unfair course of action. "What about-"

He shook his head. "EDI?" he said, blatantly staring her down.

_"Yes, Officer Vakarian?"_

"Notify Joker to set course for the Citadel. Immediately."

_"… Commander?"_

She mouthed, "_I hate you_," while Garrus kept that smug turian smirk, his eyes flickering with pride at his own cunning. A smile slipped free as she said, "Authorized. Tell him to fly us out of here."

_"Very well. Would you like me to power down all video and audio recording devices?"_

She gasped. "They left them in here?"

EDI's voice lightened. "_That was a joke_."

She covered her face as Garrus laughed at her outburst of terror. "Damn it…"

_"Logging you out, Shepard."_

Left with only the bubbling of the aquatic facility, Ellure simmered her emotions and lowered her hands. Garrus beamed. She couldn't ever remember seeing him _beam_ before, but he was. "Your face is red." he informed.

She rotated to face him. "Anything else?"

"No more disappearing acts."

"I didn't have a choice."

Following one quick kiss to her forehead, a peck to her nose, and a final grizzled caress on the tip of her lips, he said, "This is the part where you just lay here with me and stop trying to run away."

She lifted a knee over his hip, finishing the puzzle. "I didn't know turians were into cuddling."

Snogging on the narrow strip of couch, he said, "Cuddling? Definitely not. This is strategy."

"Strategy?"

"It's all part of the wooing process."

It was like holding in a sneeze, but she tried to remain serious. "I'm afraid that I'm going to need you to say 'wooing' again." The sheen in his blue eyes sparked with interest. "Pretty please?"

"Wooing?"

Laughing through her nose, she said, "Your mouth looks too funny when you do that. One more time?" They both exhaled, swirling the air between them. "Please? It'll improve your strategy…"

"Never gonna happen."

Garrus was done talking.

Hardened lips locked with hers as their bodies stayed intertwined. She tucked her shoulder into the nook of his armpit as he curled around her, mindful not to jostle the arm sleeping on the curve of her waistline.

_Probably going to have to invest in some lip balm after this_, she concluded, feeling the swell of their passion.

Every subtle shift between their bodies was reviving and life-giving. This was one of those moments. The kind you want to remember at the end. There wasn't a spark of oxygen between their skins. If she died this very second, her life could be checked as complete.

* * *

"How are you doing, Ms. T'Soni?"

Stirred beside Glyph's station, Liara withdrew from the uploading feed on her screen to see the commander lurking in the doorway. "Quite well. The few days we've been here, I've had little distraction. It appears everything is in working order finally."

"That it does."

"How is the rest of the ship faring?"

"Joker is having the time of his life, EDI is stalking half of the crew for research, Garrus is recuperating while hogging my couch, and Dr. Chakwas has already begun her terminal staring contest. Everyone else is falling into routines." Shepard crossed the room, examining the monitoring wall, and stopped to check the message terminal.

"If I find anything of importance, I'll be sure to forward it to your cabin terminal."

"Interesting…"

Liara did not miss that air of shadiness. "What did you find?"

"Nothing more than a teensy letter. What's this say here? Oh, this is good. Mm-hmm."

Surging of curiosity, Liara twirled the chair and crossed her legs defensively. "Are you going to keep taunting me or tell me what has generated your source of tactlessness?"

"Is _Droney_ still saying the words 'Shadow' and 'Broker' in the same sentence whenever he sees someone?"

Liara's face heated, and she fleetingly re-inspected the dip and dive bars of green. She should have deleted that one. "Most of the time he does not."

"That's good to hear." Shepard began picking at a button holding the rolled up sleeve of her standard Alliance attire. "I'm going to roam the Citadel today. Care to join me?"

"I have a lot to do."

"I know, but I thought it'd be nice to have a girl's day. Samantha was talking about getting herself a new toothbrush."

"Toothbrush shopping? How could I resist an invitation like that?"

"I also need a new hairbrush as I'm sure you've noticed. Plus I have to visit a few people. And most importantly, we're getting low on coffee."

"Tragedy." Liara smiled. "Alenko is feeling better?"

"Enough to send messages."

"I suppose one day couldn't hurt." Liara stood and grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair. She was willing to force them to find common ground and civility. "Why does Traynor need a toothbrush? The Normandy is stocked full with such supplies."

"It's a super brush apparently. And I'm surprised you needed one! In all those gigantic containers you couldn't stash a single toothbrush?"

"I was in a hurry. I got the most important necessities and got out of there before TIM's lackeys got to us first."

"So the most important things to you were monitors, Glyph, lots of top secret information, and Feron?"

"Well… yes."

"How long are you going to pretend you're not attracted to him?"

Liara passed into the mess-hall, refusing to admit to any in-depth attachments. "It has nothing to do with attraction. It's the decency of not taking advantage of someone who's been through a harrowing experience."

"Fair enough. What's he been doing lately?"

"Scouting the Terminus systems for Crucible parts. It's hazardous out there, Shepard. I worry about him." Liara stuck her hands into the soft fabric lining the interior of her jacket's pockets and leaned back against the elevator wall as Shepard climbed in.

"I think Feron has a better chance of survival than any of us. He survived two years of torture under the hands of a yahg. He's got a strong mind."

"… and body." Liara grinned as Shepard snapped with recognition.

"Liara! I'm shocked at your evil thoughts!" Shepard pressed one palm to her cheek. "What happened to Ms. Nobility?"

"She lived with him on a large empty ship for months. I may be reserved and respectful, but I'm not dead."

"Live it up while you can."

"I was strictly appreciating the scenery."

"You and your damn scenery. Sooner or later you should try more than just looking."

"I don't have the time to delve into extracurricular activities."

"Neither do I. But if you really want something, you have to grab it before you lose it… no pun intended there."

Liara resolved to not add to that statement and clear its possible implications from her mind.

Shepard exited into the CIC. "Ready, Traynor?"

"Yes, Commander."

Shepard balked. "Okay. Number one rule of the Normandy, when off duty just call me Shepard, or Ell. James chose the name Lola."

Traynor flashed a bright smile. "Shepard, then. I feel as though it's a little _too_ informal."

"By Alliance standards I would imagine that it is," Liara said, "but Shepard is special. And I mean that in the most loving context."

"Oh, yes. Right. Of course." Shepard scoffed, then added, "Liara is upset because I discovered her secret crush."

"Certainly not!"

The wicked human swirled the tip of her forefinger as she pointed to her. "Look at that denial, Traynor. Learn it. Know it. And conquer it. You'll see it a lot around here. Except for Joker. He's pretty straightforward."


	6. Too Hot to Handle

**This is a work of fan fiction from all Mass Effect games owned by EA and Bioware. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or the Mass Effect universe. My thanks to Bioware and EA for creating an amazing story with characters we have all come to know and love.**

* * *

**Chapter 06: Too Hot to Handle**

Meagerly sipping her drink, Ellure pondered Aria's recent proposal. It would require a good bit of footwork but having the Blood Pack, Blue Suns, and Eclipse to join the fight was tempting. Today was turning out to be more fruitful than a random shopping expenditure.

Mentally rejoining her company, she said, "I'm so glad all that is over with. You would think it'd be easier than that to find an antique wooden desk clock."

"I'm sure Doctor Chakwas will be more than pleased." Liara funneled her attention solely to a datapad. "I don't see why we couldn't stop at the Café. This place is rather difficult for maintaining concentration."

"I know! It's crazy! You'd almost think we were in Purgatory because I was trying to keep your nose out of your work for longer than five minutes."

Liara scowled and stuffed the datapad into her jacket. "That was subtle."

"I am all about subtlety."

As the server stopped at their table to take orders, Samantha hawed over the menu. "What would you recommend?"

Creating a tornado of purple, she lifted her glass. "This one here is my personal favorite."

"Mixed? I don't think I've ever experienced that particular concoction." Samantha paused for another reflection then nodded decisively. "Well then, I'll try it. But only because you recommended it. And an order of nachos. Shopping makes me hungry."

Their server smiled, jotted down the order, and left. "Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Ellure said, curling her hands around the chilled glass.

Samantha pried at her unpainted, tidy nails. "I was surfing the Alliance's comm channels, and an evacuation request from Grissom Academy came up. A group of twenty had stayed behind to continue Alliance training, even though the rest of the schools in the galaxy have already been cleared. But they sent out a distress signal… Anyways, a turian ship has reportedly stopped to assist them."

"What exactly is the issue?"

"Well, there's something strange about this signal. EDI mentioned that you received a similar one regarding the Collector Cruiser that had truly been from Cerberus."

She exhaled tersely with the memory of that particular treachery. "Ah, yes. Mr. Illusive. TIM – Timmy - Timmeh…"

"The Illusive Man." Liara contributed.

"Right." Samantha nodded with clarity and nibbled her bottom lip. "So… what do you think, Commander?"

"I think we'll be making a trip to Grissom Academy. Good catch, Specialist Traynor."

Blushing and still tugging on her nails, Samantha smiled. "Thank you.

Internally scorching, Ellure stared blankly at the pearled table top. What would they want with Grissom Academy? The last thing Cerberus would need to be involved in was another source of biotic children, seeing as how well that turned out last time.

Liara said, "What about Eden Prime?"

Shifting gears, she tried to keep focused on the present. "We can swing by afterwards and pick up your battery-luggage-artifact... thing."

Two pencil thin eyebrows converged. "Shepard. We don't have a lot of time."

"I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but you're asking me to choose between prothean stuff and the safety of kids?"

"I see your point." Liara stared at the glass of pink wine the server set before her.

"I promise you we will get to it. I just have to prioritize. On top of all this, I still have a summit to do. I'm only one person."

Pencil brows shot up. "That's it!"

She teetered in her chair at the abruptness of her friend's mood swing outburst. "What's it?"

"I'll go and get it myself."

"Liara-"

"No, you see, this is perfect. You drop me off. I'll pick it up and be on my way back. The Kodiak's been repaired, hasn't it? We have two."

"What if you need me for something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know… But, I'm going to have to nip this in the bud."

Patting the back of one hand against the palm of the other, Liara appealed, "This could work, Shepard."

Appreciating Liara's desire to go solo during Illium, she sucked the inside of her cheek apprehensively. She said Cerberus had unearthed it. They were a small crew with a single ship. Cerberus had infinite more forces. They were at Grissom, Omega, Eden Prime, Mars… everywhere.

Ellure surveyed the club with ample scrutiny. Would it be possible for the Citadel to be compromised? They had injected reaper tech into their soldiers. Sleep, food, and normal obstacles weren't going to slow them down. Where were they getting all their numbers? "I'm sorry, but… no."

"At the very least, you could tell me why."

She made a quick check for overly attentive ears and leaned over the table. "You were there on Mars. You heard him yourself," she hissed through tight teeth.

"I did." Liara swung her foot, taking on a more meditative expression.

"I have a gut feeling you're going to need me, and I'm not going to let you go it alone down there. But I don't have anyone to send with you. Garrus is out of commission, and EDI has to be within range of the Normandy. That just leaves us with me, you, and James."

"Garrus will be healed by the time you reach Grissom. James would be more than enough."

"Still, key words here, _gut feeling_. I don't like it. Really stop and think about it, Liara. If they were the ones to dig it up, then they're sure as hell going to be guarding it."

"You really mean that don't you?" She nodded. Liara sighed. "I concede. I can continue my work on finding parts and able bodies for the Crucible."

Observing Liara dejectedly poking at the stem of her wine glass, she said, "You going to be okay?"

"I just really think this is important."

She touched the back of a blue hand to bring a stop to the tapping. "You're next. Don't worry."

"Well, let's enjoy these drinks, shall we?" Liara smiled in forced manner.

Smacking a sample of her beverage, Samantha moaned her way back into the conversation. "Oh, God, this is superb." Taking it an octave higher, she whispered in opera, "_Superb_."

Liara shook her head. "What have you created, Shepard?"

"Another person with refined taste obviously." She clinked her glass with Samantha's. "To superbiness."

"That's not even a word." Liara chided.

"It is now."

Samantha burrowed through her shopping bag then slid a silver compact across the table. "Don't look now, Shepard, but I believe that volus is checking you out. Seven o' clock."

She hacked on the tangy sweet sip of purple alcohol and sat forward, grabbing a napkin to wipe the dribble from her chin and cough her way to recovery. After Liara's unnecessary back slapping, she rasped, "You're kidding." Ellure snatched the compact and opened it. Scanning along the bar, she found him chatting with James. "Crap." James turned and waved. The compact clacked shut. "Double crap. He's coming over here. What should I do?"

Gliding a fingertip around the rim of her glass, Liara said, "I sense some of that Karma you're species always talks about."

Samantha said, "I do believe this fellow has been bitten by your charms, Commander."

"Well, hell." She skipped the compact across the table to return it and knocked back the last of her drink. Shaking it off, she said, "This should be good. I'll have to let him down easy."

"You can't!" Samantha said, pouncing her accent upon them in a gust. "That would crush his confidence."

Liara pointed her smug blue finger to the raven haired betrayer. "She's right. It wouldn't be very becoming of Commander Shepard to turn down a chance to increase her standing in the galactic community." Ellure scratched her cheek with her middle finger. "Right there is a prime example of what I'm talking about. A little bit of sensitivity can go a long way when it comes to making a good impression."

"You two are going to be scrubbing toilets with an overpriced toothbrush after this." She gnawed a thumbnail and tried to plot as the heavy respiration neared.

"Excuse me," he wheezed, barely taller than the table, "I was speaking to a friend of yours."

"Really?"

He indicated James with a wave of his hand. "The human at the bar," _wheeze_, "said you were the sort," _wheeze_, "open to interspecies experimentation."

"Did he now?"

"I'm not ready for that level of," _wheeze_, "commitment," _double wheeze_, "but I would like to share a dance in the pretense of," _wheeze_, "future courtship activities."

_What did he just say? Too many breathy pauses_. She cocked her head, transfixed by his goggles. "You dance?"

"Yes. Quite well." He swayed in his mien like a miniature overconfident Garrus.

Samantha planted a smile to her hand and shied away from the discussion, unable to control her hilarity.

"Fuck it. Let's dance." Ellure hustled to stand and shrugged to the gaping girls as she followed his brisk steps toward the dance floor.

"It's a good thing I'm wearing gloves," _wheeze_, "otherwise," _wheeze_, "you'd be too hot to handle." The volus reached up to take her hand.

_Bring it on, James… Bring it on._

* * *

After gaining clearance for the turian refugees Chorik notified him of, Garrus passed through the upgraded security check grid lights in the hopes of beating Shepard back to the ship. The beeping of his Omni-tool caused him to slow.

Struggling with his sling, he managed to bring up a message from Vega.

[_You're girl has found a replacement. Purgatory. Stat_.]

He re-read the message. Purgatory? His mandibles contracted. Wasn't she out picking up supplies?

Recalling the night with Thane at Afterlife, and her habit of tripping into danger, he elected to scope it out. Wouldn't want history to repeat itself.

The entrance to Purgatory aired more honestly than the Presidium. A surplus of Alliance soldiers mingled with salarians, turians, and the typical abundance of asari. A plush red couch had been cornered off by barefaced guards. The local VIP, he imagined. Garrus balked as he took a second glance. Aria T'Loak was on the Citadel? He fought his own amusement. Now what would make the self-proclaimed Queen of Omega abandon her palace?

Casting aside his personal desire to reconnoiter, Garrus approached T'Soni and Traynor enjoying drinks at a circular table located near the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper level. One chair and one glass were empty. "I thought you ladies were out shopping for supplies?"

Liara smiled. "We were, but Shepard wanted to stop in for drinks before visiting Major Alenko."

"That explains why you're here."

"Precisely. She's stalling."

So things weren't completely cordial between Shepard and her former flame. Good to hear. "Okay then. Where is she?"

Vega came striding up. "Hey, Scars! You've have to check this out. Follow me."

Taking in the secretive snickers between the two women, he set off with Vega toward the stairs. "She's up here?"

"You're going to _love_ this."

The idea of Shepard dancing with anyone but him hardly seemed a good scenario. Reaching the sweat box, he halted as Vega pointed them out. He smiled at Shepard's seductive hip wiggle as she lowered to the floor and back up. "Is this your handiwork?"

"Hell yeah. The guy comes up to me after he saw her buying a round of drinks for some of our soldiers-boosting morale, all that jazz-and asks me to hook him up."

"And you obliged?"

"He was really assertive about it. Knew who she was and everything. I couldn't cockblock the poor bastard. And since I owed her for that mind game on Menae, here we are," he said, indicating to the spectacle.

"Right…" Garrus titled his head and watched Shepard with arms raised to the sky, cutting loose. Hysterical as it was alone, the small rounded body in front of her was stealing the show. "He's actually pretty good."

"Yeah." Vega scratched his crown and shrugged. "I'm a little jealous."

"How long has she been like this?"

"Couple two or three songs, maybe. I don't know. I assumed she was going to turn him down flat." Vega paused, then added, "I wonder what he said?"

"It's not what you say, but how you say it."

"You think?"

"I know so. How else would I have won her over? Trust me on this, Jimmy Vega. If it was the words I had said, I'd currently be the frustrated turian friend who calibrates the guns in the main battery. And always gets the kill shots… But let's not tell her that."

"I'm not loco enough to dare."

"Smart man. You may stand a chance of surviving all this."

"I'm sure as hell not going down without a fight."

"Speaking of which, it's time I cut in."

* * *

Pivoting one foot, popping and locking, he said, "You're style is noteworthy."

"You're cute. A liar, but cute." Ellure smiled, wondering how much longer his stumpy legs were going to last.

"I invite you for dinner," _wheeze_, "if you would like to continue this."

"I'm afraid she can't," said a curt flanged voice from behind her. "She has plans with someone else."

"Since when?" she turned around, savoring the tall drink of water with the hypnotizing eyes approaching. Too bad one was hidden behind that visor. "Well, look who decided to break curfew. Nice sling. Clashes with your stringent."

Her volus dance partner steadied to a standstill. "That is acceptable." _Wheeze_. "You have brought me the attention of a delectable asari." _Pervy wheeze_. "She has been admiring me since our first song."

Ellure swallowed her chortle. "Thanks for the dance. Good luck with that." He bowed his head and waddled away to join his target dancing solo on the wall. "All right then, Mr. Vakarian. Let's see what you've got."

"I, uh… what?" Garrus rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I just came to toss you a life preserver. You looked like you were drowning. Literally. I would know. I'm an expert on that."

"Ha. Ha." Hands glued to her hips taking a slant, she pressed on. "You were clearly interrupting my dancing with someone else. The proper course of action is to follow through on all these empty promises."

"My promises are never empty. You're just upset I don't fill them the way you would prefer."

She narrowed one eye. "Are we on the same subject matter here?"

"I'm not really sure anymore to be honest." Garrus chuckled and stepped closer. "But enjoy the next two minutes. They'll never happen again."

"I don't know. You look good in the seizure lights."

"What are you talking about? I _always _look good."

With his unrestricted hand huddled to the small of her back, she followed along with his slow grind. "We don't have to get crazy. You being decrepit and all."

"Decrepit?" Garrus scoffed. "You forget who you're-"

"Talking to. I know. I know." She relaxed her cheek against the familiar green and blue. Hot as it was, his body heat beckoned. Garrus nuzzled the top of her head as they swayed. Was he sniffing her hair? Sweet Jesus and holy crackers, it's a good thing she showered. "How did it go with customs?"

"I find I'm much less threatening without the armor, but they eventually complied and allowed us a space in Cargo Hold A."

"Cargo Hold A? _The_ Cargo Hold A?" She felt a nod as his thumb painted her spine in up and down motions. "They went all out."

"Nowhere else to go. It's a madhouse down there. Batarians, humans, and turians all crammed together and forced to live in the waiting areas. It's a powder keg of tension. They've started turning people away."

Ellure pulled back sharply, scuffing her hair against his mandible. "Turning people away? Can they do that?"

He smirked in his endearingly goofy manner and smoothed a glove over her hair in an attempt to fix whatever chaos she had caused. "I know what you're thinking, and pushing them about it isn't going to help."

"And what exactly makes you assume you're entitled to know what I think?"

"Experience."

"Is that so?"

"Definitely." He hovered closer, resting the side of his face to hers, lowering his voice against her ear. "I'm glad that you agreed to keep me on board. It's good to know all of my romantic _skills_ had an effect." Garrus glided his hand down her left shoulder.

"Is that what that was? Seems like I remember things differently."

"You were _busy_."

"I wasn't _busy_ in the shuttle bay the day I scared you off."

"Hmm." He leaned back and looked her over from head to toe, making her insides turn to slush. _How does he do that_? "What about a do over?" he said.

She shook her head. "No can do."

"You sure about that?" He clutched her against him.

"Yes?"

As he slithered his hand to the back of her neck, he kissed her.

Spellbound by his exotic scent and tempted to push this farther, she drank of air as he parted.

"I'm going back to the Normandy," he said huskily. "I need to get in contact with an old friend of mine still on Menae and check in."

"Rest up." Goosebumps chased his fingers as they wound down the length of her arm. _Wave your flag, Ell, you lost this one._

"Sure you can wait that long?" He exhaled a laugh through his nose and squeezed her hand as he walked away. "Enjoy your time with Alenko," he called over his shoulder.

Ellure groaned and dropped her head in defeat. She'd forgotten about that.

Indeed today was better than the others. The shine of the Citadel warmed through the glass. Perhaps he could have stayed longer with his son, but the cough and the numbness had been increasingly resistant to obeying his desires, and Kolyat was not willing to risk extending their travel after his last spell of dizziness and memory lapse.

"Thane?"

A soft touch on his arm brought him around into her embrace. "Shepard. You came to see me."

"You sound like you were worried." She smiled. "I told you that I wouldn't delete your message this time."

"That is always good to hear. Come. Join me."

They settled in the more accommodating leather seats of the Huerta Memorial Hospital's waiting area. The air seemed deeper.

An asari bid her farewell and procured a datapad from her jacket before giving them distance. "I was afraid you wouldn't have the time to visit."

"I'd have made time, but as fate would have it, there's a soldier here that was injured during a mission with me, Kaidan Alenko. He was trying to protect her from a Cerberus attacker." Shepard indicated to the asari. "He contacted me as well, so your timing was perfect."

"The Alliance biotic in intensive care? I saw the marks of an implant." He covered his cough till the scratch ceased. "I have spoken to him. He was holding out hope that a woman would visit."

Shepard rubbed her hands together anxiously. "Before the collector attack on the SSV, there was a time we were involved. Things just didn't quite work out."

"I see. Your enemies may try to finish him off here. I will look out for him."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Krios." Shepard soundlessly laughed as she searched him. "You never quit do you?"

"I am near the end of my life. It is a good time to be generous."

As they watched the end of a solar day's events, he wondered if perhaps such a lack of preparation and change in habitual routines here on the Citadel worried her after the attacks on her planet.

"So how was your desert excursion?" she said, tiredly resting a cheek against a palm. Pastel eyes were still telling more tales than she realized.

"It was worth the wait. Kolyat has been doing well. The community service has been completed, but he has kept a job working with the Citadel children in the Presidium Commons. He wishes to enter teaching studies."

"That's… a really big change." This time her smile was bottomless.

"It is more than I could have asked for."

"They haven't really asked much about why he was on community service?"

"The information Commander Bailey had in place has not been questioned. For that, I am grateful to you."

"I saw you working on your practice punches when I came in. Glad to see you're keeping in shape. Planning on a few more vacations? If you hurry, there may be an invasion discount."

He appreciated her attempt to lighten the heavy question she had been avoiding. "Kepral Syndrome is most unkind. With enough care and a healthy lifestyle, it can be delayed for a few years. Of course, my allotted time has already come and gone. Now I exercise because it pleases me."

"I'm back on the Normandy. The alluring window seat of life support is still available."

He cleared another twinge in his chest, then spoke. "I would not be as I was before. And knowing you, you would want to fight the Reapers somehow."

"Maybe…"

"I am pleased to see that some things have not changed."

"I'm sure we could find you some lighter work. We have an opening for a Mess Sergeant."

"I… I do not cook." Shepard eased back in her chair and covered her grin with her fingertips. "You are joking." He smiled. "I am at peace with what I have done in my life, Shepard. There comes a time when one must rest from war and conflict… and kitchen duties."

The humor faded. Shepard ran her hands down the length of her thighs to staple on her knees. "How long?"

"My favorite doctor gave me three months to live, nine months ago." He folded his hands and bent at the waist to rest onto his elbows. He had expended much energy for the afternoon. "It is freeing to find no requirements placed on me. No responsibilities, no fears. It is a good end to a life."

"What can I say? It's what you wanted right? I mean, the last time we talked you were wanting time with your son and retirement." Her eyes watered. "Can't ask for more than that. Seeing what I saw out there? Earth, Palaven… Not many could end up so blessed."

Thane cocked his head at her word of choice. "Blessed? Yes. I suppose that is a way to describe it." He was not one so deserving of a blessing, yet what little he had left in his life was just that. "Kolyat will be sorry he missed you," he said, standing as she did.

"Assure him I'm much more boring than the tabloids make me out to be."

"That is… an understatement."

"Says the career assassin."

He hugged her once more. "I hope that Garrus is still by your side during this time."

"He is."

"Then I will rest easy."

Shepard bowed. "I wish the best for you, Thane."

He bowed. "And I for you. Do not grieve for me. I have good doctors, and my son visits regularly. Perhaps we will keep up via the extranet, now that you are free. Until we meet again, Shepard."

"Until then, Thane."

* * *

After check-in at the desk, Shepard stopped beside a gift terminal. "Should I get him anything?"

Liara used the side of the machine to support her weight, crooking one knee to prop her foot on her toes. "Why wouldn't you?"

"It seems like I should, and yet, if I do..."

"Buy him some flowers."

"Do men like flowers?"

"He's not going to care. It's the thought that counts."

"Yeah. They got chocolate. Does he like chocolate?"

"Who doesn't?"

"I don't know. A lot of people I would imagine."

"Why don't you get him something he would like? Certainly you have some inkling of an idea."

"They have Peruvian whiskey. He's a judgmental drinker who likes a little bit of alcohol on occasion. Unless I'm the one drinking_, then he has a problem with it_."

Liara ignored the snarky under breath remark. The commander was running on sleep fumes. After dropping off Traynor, she had observed Shepard receiving a bottle of sleep suppressants from Chakwas in the kitchen. "Purchase that then."

"What if he thinks I'm hitting on him and trying to buy his love or something?"

"Explain to him that you're not."

"I'd rather not even have to approach the topic. I plan to sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened."

"You can't do that, Shepard."

"Stop reminding me." Shepard squinted her eyes as though that would somehow make up her decision. "What about a card?"

"Please, just pick something."

"Wait. Nope. These are way too mushy and touchy-feely."

Liara impressed a palm to her forehead. "Why did I come with you?"

"Because you wanted to show Kaidan your support after letting him get bashed into the side of a shuttle by Dr. Eva."

"You could have put that a little more elegantly. And I'm the one who shot down that machine. You should be thanking me."

"That would take too long. And thank you." Shepard crossed her arms and rocked from heel to toe. "You think he'd notice if I didn't get him anything?"

"That would be rude." The side of her head against the terminal, Liara urged, "You have to get him something. If you don't pick it, I will. And it will be plenty of touch-feely."

"All right, all right. Whiskey and awkwardness it is."

"I'm sure he's not going to get the wrong idea. You're with Garrus now."

"True. I'm probably just being paranoid."

_Did Alenko know about Garrus_? Following the rapid take off, she stalked after Shepard, who gave a swift little wave to a red haired doctor helping a man in the waiting room. The commander always seemed to know someone wherever they went. Taking another glance, she acknowledged the doctor to be nice-looking for a human.

After sterilization, they passed through the overwhelming crowd of patients to the room they had been instructed to find him in.

"Hey," Alenko said as the doors swished open, "didn't think you were coming."

"We almost didn't. Shepard was swept away by a volus." Liara went up first to greet him.

"His wooing techniques are almost unmatched." Shepard dragged two stools to the side of the bed and sat down. "How are you feeling, Major?"

"I've been better."

"I brought you this. Thought it may cheer you up a little since you're cooped in here." Shepard waggled the bottle.

Kaidan winced as he smiled. "I'll be flying high if I mix it with my daily dose of medications. Not the best idea for a biotic."

"Might get you out of here sooner." Shepard teased.

Liara felt a rise of enthusiasm. This was going smoothly. She squiggled onto her stool and waited for her opportunity to leave them to their yahg in the room.

Alenko pressed a button and the head of the bed hummed as it pushed him upright. "How are you two?"

Shepard stood and covered him with the meager bed sheet. "Better than you are right now." She patted his now concealed pectorals as if tucking in a cactus.

_Could she be any more reticent? _Resisting the urge to palm her face, Liara said, "I'm so relieved to see you're okay. You really frightened us back on the Normandy."

Shepard concurred with a nod of her head as she hitched back onto the stool and said, "I'll just leave this here for later." One hand stretched backwards and the other gripped the seat edge between her thighs for balance as she set out to place the bottle of whiskey on the desk behind them.

Liara glanced down to see the front legs of the stool lift off the floor an inch or two. "Shepard, you're going to-" Four stool legs flipped up with human, whiskey, and flailing limbs in downward tow. Glass shattered, Shepard cursed, and she covered her face with her palm this time.

Alenko moved quicker than an injured man in a hospital bed should have. The slack of wire connected to his arm went taunt, pulling a connection from the nearby medical equipment and setting off a peeping alarm as he clung to the mattress with bedridden legs on Peruvian slicked tiles.

Liara jumped off her stool, seized Shepard's arm, and pushed Alenko's shirtless form back toward the bed to prevent his rescue attempt, sandwiching herself between them. "Humans must be some of the most ungraceful creatures I've ever had the pleasure to know."

Firmly stabilized, Shepard adjusted her shirt and jockeyed one of her soaked pant legs back down over her combat boot. "What the hell was that? How often do they wax the damn floors in here?" She checked her arms for cuts, sticking out her elbow to see the back. "I think I'm all good."

Using the bed behind him for support, Alenko sighed. "Turn so we can take a look."

Shepard rotated, and they both checked her wispily muscled arms. _How was she capable of firing a sniper rifle? _"All clear." Liara confirmed.

One glance and she and Alenko broke into joint laughter. Running a wide hand down his face and smoothing it over his bruised and stubble covered jaw, Alenko raised his dark brows while he pored over the commander. "You should have paid Cerberus to fix that..."

"Not. Nice."

Alenko grunted and lifted himself back onto the stretcher, grasping a sheet and pulling it over his lap. "This is what I get for sending extranet letters."

Liara tried not to blush. He was only wearing his undergarment. The hospital must be stretched thin if they can no longer provide proper dress.

The doctor from the waiting room burst into the doorway and slapped one hand over the center of her chest, panting. "Is everything all right in here? I was paged by the-" Her vibrant eyes did a quick assessment of the disaster as she braced her other hand against the frame of the entryway. Whiskey swirled around broken glass, Shepard was still piecing herself together, and Alenko was attempting to recollect his dignity.

Liara smirked. "Thanks for bringing me, Shepard. You were right. This was fun."


	7. Whiskey Dreams and Culinary Truths

**This is a work of fan fiction from all Mass Effect games owned by EA and Bioware. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or the Mass Effect universe. My thanks to Bioware and EA for creating an amazing story with characters we have all come to know and love.**

* * *

**Chapter 07: Whiskey Dreams and Culinary Truths**

With the room cleaned, Kaidan's former blind date out of the room, and overall normalcy returned, she hooked her laced-up combat boots around the front legs of the stool to rest on the bottom bar. Liara had bailed.

Ellure breathed deeply. _You can do this._

"Where's she off to in a hurry?" said Kaidan, keeping his upright position after having thankfully covered himself.

She should have bought him a t-shirt. "She's anxious to get back to her work."

"Her _work_? How did you fit all of that onto the Normandy?"

"Very carefully... So, have you decided on whether or not you plan on taking up the spectre position?"

"Haven't really decided yet."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you'd make a great spectre."

"Thanks… That means a lot coming from you." Kaidan smiled tensely. "Heh, uhm…" He cleared his throat. "Where do we go from here?"

"I was hoping we could be friends."

"Friends." He glowered at the sheets as though the word was lost on him. "Okay…" A loud silence permeated the room. While she tried to think of a witty subject matter, he punctured her with his gaze. "I'm just going to come right out and say it. I'm sorry I ever doubted it was you. I was, I'll admit, _hoping_ for something more than friends."

She tousled her hair. "Look. Kaidan. What we had was good, but it's not going to work for me anymore."

"It's because of Horizon, isn't it?"

It was time to get straight to the facts. "Not exactly… I-I'm with Garrus now." Ellure dug the heels of her hands into the padded top of the stool as she clutched it between her thighs.

His eyes went dark, permanently cold. "Garrus. Vakarian… the turian?"

"Did we know more than one Garrus?" she countered in irritation.

Kaidan stared ahead, deadpan at the wall. "Wow," he exhaled, "you cheated."

"Come again?"

Using one hand for emphasis, he said, "You cheated on me - with Garrus?"

"We were done. Once I died you were off the hook. And on Horizon you made it very clear where you stood on that issue. _Very clear_."

"This _is_ about Horizon. I knew it. Shepard…" Kaidan dangled his legs over the side of the bed. He reached out and took each of her hands into one of his. "Shepard. I've never stopped loving you."

_No, no, no. This is not good. Not good! _"I'm sorry, but - I don't feel the same way."

"I know we've had our disagreements, and I know I should have been there for you when you came back. But I was completely dazed. How often do people come back from the dead? I went to your funeral… I mourned you for so long." Head lowered, he brought her concentration away from their hands. "You can understand that, right?"

"Absolutely. But you need to understand this is nothing you did-"

"When?" He released her hands and clenched his together on top of his lap. "When did you and Garrus become a thing?"

"During our mission to stop the Collectors."

"Ah, okay… the Collectors. Your reason for joining Cerberus."

She had had enough.

Ellure jumped off the stool, took a fierce stance, and jabbed her finger to his shoulder harder than she'd intended. "You listen here, Major. I am done with Cerberus. I am done with people doubting me and calling me out for every minor infraction in my life. I didn't want to work for Cerberus. Trust me, I made the Illusive Man's life a nightmare. I should get disgruntled employee of the year!"

She paced to the window. She had to clear this for him, for them. She wanted this to work. Only, she didn't know how to make it work. She massaged at the mounting pressure behind her temples.

His voice was controlled but ascending with bitterness. "What do you want me to say? That everything's okay? That I'm going to sit back and just let it go?"

"I don't expect you to just let it go."

"Then what do you want from me?"

She spun to face him. "I want you to accept me. Be my friend. Be my comrade in arms. Help me to save our fucking planet! Is that so much to ask? Hell, you don't even have to be friends with me… Just - help."

"Help? You mean on the Normandy?"

"Well… anything would be good."

Kaidan ran his hands up either side of his scalp, converging at the peak of jet black hair in the middle. "For god's sake, Shepard. You tell me that you've cheated on me with Garrus, someone I thought of as a friend, and then expect me to move on with my life? Like everything is just A-Okay now?"

She closed the distance between them, hands tucked behind her elbows defensively. "I didn't intend to hurt you-"

"But you did."

"Yes. And for that I'm sorry. But I won't apologize for working with Cerberus. I won't apologize for moving on with my life. And I won't apologize for what I'm about to do."

"And what are you about to do?"

She fought against the quiver trying to escape with her words. "I am going to walk out this door. I am going to go back to my ship and my crew, and I am going to give you time to consider what you are willing to accept."

"What _I'm_ willing to accept?" He scoffed with disdain.

"When you decide what you want to do, then contact me. Until then, I'll be out there fighting to save your life."

* * *

Kaidan sat arrested in abhorrent shock as she exited. All his days in this hospital he had been clinging to his memories of her, seeking a way fix this since the moment he'd heard all her emotions come to life on Mars. When he was certain that he could put all of her past traitorous ways aside, he'd resolved to pick up the pieces and salvage this before time ran out. He was ready to beg for forgiveness, explain his reasoning, and maybe kiss her back into his life. After all, it worked the first time, but he wasn't ready for this.

Garrus? She was signing herself off for him? What did that guy have that he didn't? None of it made sense. On the SSV neither seemed to have even a shred of attraction! When he had received the news that Shepard never made it into the escape pod, he had contacted Garrus out of a sense of formality and friendship. The turian never seemed phased. He didn't even respond! He merely vanished from existence. No, _I'm sorry for your loss_. No, _thanks for letting me know_. Nothing.

Kaidan refocused as Dr. Michel entered.

Okay. So he had tried to move on too. Yet it was never the same for him as it was with Shepard. Maybe it was possible she had only rebounded. She was coping in her own way with her death, rebirth, and life as a commander and spectre. It would only be natural to attach yourself to the first stable thing you came across from your past.

"Is the commander the one you were telling me about?" Michel said, pressing her frosty metal bell to the pulse point in the crook of his elbow.

"She was."

"Your heart rate is accelerated." Arching one brow in assumption, Michel removed the stethoscope from her ears and draped it around the back of her neck. Shining a light into his eyes, she said, "She seemed upset."

"We talked about some things." Kaidan let the words hang in the air as he still tried to swallow the idea.

"I won't pry." Michel plucked a datapad from her pocket. "Everything looks well. No concerns with your implant?"

"The headaches are waning."

She nodded and clutched the datapad against her chest. "I know this seems a strange question, but I wondered… You served on the Normandy?"

"I did. Here and there."

"Have you ever acquainted a Garrus?"

He took a more thorough look at the doctor. _What is with this guy's appeal to women? _"I knew him. At least, I thought I did."

"Oh. He saved me once, with the commander's help. I don't feel as though I ever received the chance to thank him properly. I tried to contact him, but it was lost in the extranets, you might say."

Kaidan gauged her reaction. "He never wrote back?"

"I'm not sure he ever got any of my letters." The doctor appeared flushed as she finished typing and tucked away the medical file. "I asked the commander, but she said she had lost contact with him."

"Huh… Well, if I ever run into him again, I'll be sure to let you know."

"I would appreciate that." Michel smiled. "I hope things work out between you two."

"I screwed up."

A medical glove perched on his shoulder. "I would suggest being forthright. The commander seems the sort open to a direct approach."

"Being open about it isn't the issue. It's a pile of, excuse the language, fuck-ups, and I'm not sure if there's any way to regain my place. That spot seems to be filled at the moment."

Michel eased him upright and adjusted his pillow. "Life is strange." The doctor quietly laughed. "This week has been so eventful. I see the commander, see she is to know you, and then you are both once in love. It is a small galaxy we live in."

"A lot of crazy coincidences." Kaidan rubbed his aching jaw.

"Is there something you would like me to send a nurse for? I must get back to my other patients. We are busy with the refugees arriving."

"I could use a razor, but I'll be okay. Exhausted at the moment."

"You should rest." Michel walked toward the exit and loitered. "Major Alenko, if given the opportunity, we should go for dinner again sometime."

He paused. _What could it hurt_? "Dinner sounds great."

* * *

"It's like a bandage. Quick and painful, the sting goes away and the wound is healed."

"You didn't see his face, Liara. That wound is not going anywhere soon." Ellure maintained her elbows on the white tablecloth, shielding her eyes from curious onlookers. "I don't know why this is killing me. I didn't expect it to go easily, but I did anticipate a little flexibility. He didn't even try to consider what it may be like to be the person who died and woke up in Cerberus' lab with no understanding of what the hell happened! Two years of my life were just _gone_."

The chair squeaked on the Apollo Café floor as Liara scooted closer and took her hand. "I'm sorry, Shepard. That was my doing."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for what you did. Extremely. I wouldn't be here at all if-" She leaned on Liara's shoulder heavily. "I guess I shouldn't complain. I could be dead… I just seem to always hope for too much."

Liara's head rested on top of hers as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders snuggly. "Maybe I should talk to him?"

She exhaled in resignation. "No, that's not going to be necessary. I said what needed to be said. He's going to have to come to terms with it."

"Then he needs time."

"Yeah, I know he's been through a lot too."

Liara leaned away and lifted her glass, examining the beverage shimmering in the faux sun. "This world is a mess, isn't it?"

"In more ways than one."

Ellure straightened. Scouting the area, she spotted the asari matriarch from Illium working her afternoon shift at the Café, wiping down the bar and feigning lack of interest in Liara. Due to her and Joker's Apollo addiction, it hadn't taken long for her find out the reason for the woman's curiosity. "So…"

"I know who she is."

"You going to talk to her?"

"I don't really have the time for-"

"Talk to her. If not for you or her, do it for me." Standing and smoothing out her shirt, she said, "I'm going to grab Joker and Steve some chicken marsala and head back." She snapped her fingers as she started to walk away and turned back. "Oh! And, Liara?"

The asari cupped her chin in her palm. "Yes?"

"Thanks for listening. Even though you abandoned me back there."

Liara smiled. "You're welcome. And you two needed to talk."

"Maybe you should consider that last point for yourself too." She winked and left.

* * *

Ogling his shiny new co-pilot, Joker grinned. "So what kind of humanistic traits does this robot body have?"

EDI's fingers hovered over the keypad. A glowing red visor gradually gave him consideration. "I do not understand the course of this question's significance."

"Never mind…" As he slouched back, an Apollo bag was lowered in front of his face to set on his lap.

"Stop harassing EDI." Shepard plastered her hand on his hat to gain access to his ear. "For someone who was so against my friendship with a geth, you're really pushing the limit, don't you think?"

He elected to stop, drop, and roll away from the factless insinuation and peeked in the bag. "You forgot a fork."

Shepard shoved off the back of the pilot chair and groaned. "Great. This day is turning to crap."

"Because of a fork?" He arched around the glossy leather to find her already tromping down the CIC. "I hate when she does that!"

EDI returned her gaze to the console and attuned the oxygen filtration levels. "The Commander has slept four hours in totality since she has boarded the Normandy."

"You mean to tell me she hasn't slept at all? It's been…" He held up his fingers, then dropped them in defeat. "A week? Maybe two?

"Rounded off, it is two-hundred and eight hours without recharging."

"How is that humanly possible?" He flipped open the container with hungry anticipation. "What the shit? Where are the garlic noodles? It looks like someone mowed the Presidium lawn and dumped it in here."

"That is broccoli, Jeff."

"Thank you, EDI, for clearing that up."

A fork appeared beside him. "Set a course for Grissom Academy." Shepard glanced down at the container of law clippings. "And I gave you the wrong one." She reached over, closed the lid, and started away again. "I'll be back."

He held the fork over his pounding heart. "That was a close one. I was trying to break my personal record."

"That is unwise in your condition."

"… my condition?"

"Your body needs a steady supply of nutrients to maintain a proper balance."

He jerked up his sleeve and flexed. "Does it look like I'm having any dietary issues?"

EDI glanced from the corner of her eye but refrained from turning. "Your argument is invalid."

"Invalid? How is it _invalid_? Look at this beast!" He flexed again.

"It is a consequence from your extensive collection of extranet bookmarks... That is a joke."

"Hardy har har."

* * *

_Forward, back, to the side. Forward, back, to the side. _Garrus wielded his arm through the exercise without much resistance. "What's the verdict?"

Chakwas milled at his shoulder. "It appears to be in good shape. Does it feel bruised when I press here? I can't visibly see it, so on a scale of one to ten, with ten being wickedly unbearable, where would you place it?"

"Three."

The doctor smiled, returned to her chair, and used her heels to propel backward to the desk. Whirling around and typing into her console, she said, "If you can refrain from firing weaponry, you won't have need of a sling."

Garrus crept back into his shirt. "I'll be sure to remember."

"You had better, Vakarian. The last thing you need to do is extend the healing processes."

Exiting the med bay, he encountered Shepard quietly sitting at the four seater table in the mess-hall and dining with one of the new Alliance crew. He cemented into the chair beside her and kicked up conversation. "How did it go?"

She immediately stabbed something green. "It could have gone better."

The man across the table said, "Do you think he plans on returning to the Normandy?"

"Hard to say. He's not too thrilled with me at the moment." Shepard finished chewing and said, "Where are my manners? You two haven't been introduced yet. Garrus, this is Steven Cortez, our sexy shuttle bay fixer-upper."

Cortez laughed moderately. "She's exaggerating."

Garrus reached across the table to shake his hand. "She does that a lot."

Strutting in and coming to a stop at the end of the table, holding his chin high, Vega stood with feet spread and arms across his chest. "Lola? Is this true?"

Shepard froze, mouth open, fork in mid-air. "Huh?

"You're giving Esteban the title of being the sexy one?" Chest puffed, he stuck out his arms. "Are you not entertained? I give you free shows every morning when you stop in for the rounds."

Cortez sighed. "Here we go again."

She shook her head. "He's got a sexy look. You? You're cute."

"Cute?" Arms lowered, he continued into the kitchen. "That did it. Now you've gone and made me blush."

Garrus called to Vega, "Where is the nickname Lola coming from? Scars is pretty… obvious, but that one is leaving me a little stumped here."

Digging through the refrigerator, he replied, "A friend of mine's older sister back on Earth was named Lola. She reminds me of her. Hot. Tough." He peered under his bicep to kiss the air toward Shepard.

She grated an exhale in response as Vega cradled a collection of items, shut the door with his foot, and began lining his assemblage on the counter. Opening a drawer beside the sink, he pulled out a piece of fabric and tied it around his waist.

Garrus angled his head for a better look. "What is this?"

Elbow on the back of the chair, Shepard twisted the upper half of her body toward the display. "You cook?"

With knife in hand, his eyes darted over them. "Why? Does it impress you? I hear women like a man that knows how to cook."

Shepard returned to her dinner. "Depends on what's cooking."

"You know what? That reminds me of a song."

Shepard hung her head. "This can't be happening. I'm not prepared to handle more than one singer."

_"Hey… Good lookin'. Wha-at ya' got cookin'?" _he sang, snapping his fingers to the 's faced flushed, and Vega stopped short. "Stripping in the shuttle bay doesn't bother you, but this does? Lola does blush? Oh man… This is awesome on so many levels!" He continued.

Cortez revealed slight amusement to Shepard as he rose from the table. "Thanks for lunch. I'm going to get back down to the shuttle bay.

She saluted with her fork. "Run while you can."

Ignoring Vega's chopping and banter, he said, "Cortez seems reserved. Compared to the rest of the crew, that is." He pointed in the direction of the show playing out in the kitchen.

"He's struggling with a loss still. His husband."

"How long ago?"

"During a Collector attack, Garrus." she said, picking at her meal.

He arched back into a stretch and ran one glove down his face. "Spirits…"

As Vega did a spin and slide maneuver to the fridge, continuing his repartee in another language that Garrus' translator could only pick up in fragments, Victus said, "Humans are a rather capricious bunch."

The mood in the room stuffed. Vega coughed and resumed with his food preparations stiffly. Shepard, always the accommodator, kicked her foot under the table and slid out a chair. "Have a seat, Primarch."

Victus shook his head in rejection. "I appreciate the offer," he said, pushing the chair back in, "but I was merely coming to see if you had heard anything of importance while on the Citadel."

Shepard appeared to be caught in some sort of thoughtless black hole, so he came to her rescue with a diversion. "I've reserved a place in the docking bay for refugees. Medical supplies and dextro-rations have already been sent out to the reserves on Menae."

Victus nodded. "Excellent." With a resigned sigh, he sat down. "Every day I receive reports of losses in the hundreds of thousands." His mandibles clicked with a momentary anxiety. After a subtle shift in tone, he said, "I suppose we're all going through it."

Shepard smiled sweetly. "That we are."

Hands interlaced, Victus tapped one finger on the back of another. "You have a beautiful ship, Commander. Amazing piece of craftsmanship."

"I'm afraid it's Alliance property, but for now I call it home."

Garrus gushed with reflection. "I suppose you could call it that. We've spent a lot of time here. Good and bad." He smirked at her formality and set out to remove it. "Though, it wouldn't have been half as fun without you here." She nudged his ankle with hers under the table.

Victus assumed a lengthy look at Ell. "You carry a lot of reputations, Commander."

She scoffed and carried her container to the compactor collection. "No kidding." Clearing to the sink, she bumped Vega out of the way with the side of her hip.

Vega scowled and waved his knife haphazardly. "Say, excuse me."

After drying her hands, she turned around and said, "Nope," with a wink and jarred him for a second time.

"Good."

Her face paled. "Excuse me?"

"No-no. You're saying it wrong. It should be like a request or a futuristic apology."

Her eyes narrowed. "What did you mean by, 'good'?"

Popping a bite of food into his mouth, he leaned one thick hand on the countertop behind him. "I said, _good_, because I'm not about to complain that you're rubbing your body all over me."

Garrus stifled a surging laugh at the shock she tried to hide. Not missing a beat, she fired back, "Bring it on, Mr. Vega."

"I could do this all day, Lola. And all night long…" he winked.

"Damn it!"

Victus' brow plate shifted with palpable curiosity at the antics. Trying to quell whatever judgments the primarch was building, he said, "Yes, this goes on quite often."

"What does the crew think?"

"They all seem to love her for it."

"I've never claimed to understand such practices... But I would never be against it. She has shown nothing but success in her military career." Victus' Omni-tool blipped as he stood. "I should return to the communications. Keep me posted of anything you may hear, Vakarian."

Garrus nodded with deference and took his own leave.

Somewhere during his thirty second chat with Victus, the two humans had become locked in dispute. Shepard was increasingly indignant while Vega appeared to be on the verge of, pleading?

"How do you know you don't like it if you haven't tried it?" Vega said.

"I did try it! And I just didn't care for it. Not my thing."

"Well, maybe it was the chef."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not into eating anything with tentacles." She comically shivered. "Again, sorry, but no thanks."

"But… it's great when I make it! I'll make it for you, and then you will have to give it a second chance."

"I don't think so. You couldn't pay me to eat that stuff.

Vega shrugged and began shoveling his food remnants back into the fridge. "I'll find a way to change your mind."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Garrus lost speed as he passed the center island. With unspoken beckoning, Shepard knocked him with a glance. He could read her like a strategic plan, and he was more than willing to explore the map.

However, briefly examining the havoc that had been unleashed upon the weapon systems in his absence couldn't hurt.

* * *

Would he choose her over the love of his Thanix cannon? Could he pull himself away from the entrancing glow of the main battery? Probably not. But in case he did, she should be ready.

Ellure freed her hairbrush from the confines of its shopping bag and headed for the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she had scrubbed away the aroma of Peruvian whiskey from every pore. Her teeth were polished, her hair untangled, and her nerves on the edge. Where was he?

Electing to give him fifteen minutes of leeway, she straightened the sheets and shut off the overhead lights. The bottle of sleep suppressants were then stuffed into a desk drawer. Terminal off. Alarm clock off.

She scanned the room in a final check. What else?

* * *

Mildly satisfied with his findings, he punched in for her cabin and assembled the evidence. Piece one, why did he always end up deliberating in the elevator? Piece two, she'd gone to visit Alenko and returned quiet. Silence was usually a bad sign, that much he understood. Piece three, she smelled of weak levo-whiskey. Something went down. Shepard never drank whiskey. And he knew who did.

Crossing the hallway junction, he resolved to confirm why she didn't need that human in her life.

The doors opened and he secured his target. She was coiled dead center of the bed, and he was not permitting her to fall asleep with pictures of Alenko fresh in her mind.

"I haven't slept in weeks." He traversed the sapphire glow and descended into darkness. "And when I did, it wasn't a restful sleep. It was the sleep of war-gunfire, reaper cries, the cries of Palaven's mothers." He set his visor on the glass coffee table as it reflected the meager light from the empty fish tank. "And somewhere in the midst of that, I missed you… Spirits, did I ever miss you."

Feeling through the darkness, he yanked the sheet off the end of the bed and cast it to the floor. "I'm tired, and not because of the things previously mentioned. I'm tired of worrying about you. I'm tired of thinking about you. And I'm _definitely_ tired of wanting you and not having you."

Finding her feet at the end of the bed, he crawled over the top of her. He could envision that slanted smile. He might lack the eloquence of some men, and may not have had the best pick-up lines, smooth dance moves, or a squishy exterior, but he sure as hell knew how to please her. "Something tells me you missed me too."

Supported by his forearms and delaying the contact between their bodies, he blew puffs of air across her collarbone and felt the heat return off her skin. The sweet fragrance of her was branded into his subconscious. The taste of her was like licking the forbidden. Like a levo-fruit on his plate at a Citadel restaurant, it was there, ready for the taking, and he could do everything but consume it. And he was going to do _everything_ within the realm of possibilities.

Her blunted nails scraped against his shoulders and down his arms as she exhaled his name. He pressed his mouth to hers, and she slid her hands to his chest, removing his clothes with know-how.

Easing back, he pitched the shirt and unfastened the fly of his pants to ready. Sliding his hands up her thighs, the feel of her brought him to the pleasant realization that she was already naked. "You planned ahead?"

"I like to be prepared."

"What if it wasn't me?"

"Then this would have ended up being a little bit awkward."

Palms sinking into the mattress, he said, "How do I know you weren't waiting for someone else?"

She lyrically laughed. "Who?"

"A lot of people on this ship seem to have a crush on you."

"... you hit your head again didn't you?"

"Not yet."

"I... I don't even... What?"

Winding his hand to her hips, under her waist, and up her spine, he lifted between the blades, bringing her to him. "I don't plan to go so easy on you this time."

Pushing forehead to nose, she seeped of conviction. "Stop talking already."

One motion and he reclaimed her as his own.

Shepard inhaled sharply and lifted her hips to his. Sitting back on his knees, he brought her upright, watching the unbridled tide washing over her.

Allowing her body to adjust its fit around his, he set out to conquer that one question. She wanted to know what he was out to prove, and it seemed too obvious in his eyes. He didn't give a damn what anyone else thought about their species barriers or rankings. He wasn't out to prove anything to anyone but her. All the same, he wasn't going to tell her that. Not then. He wouldn't have had the proper means to explain it.

But right now, feeling her this close? Yeah, now was a suitable time to show her.

She hugged as he pushed deeper, slow and even, biding his time, bringing her right to the edge. He was experienced at being patient, and it was driving her wild.

The tips of her fingers dug into the skin at the back of his neck as she tried to coax him into jumping with her. Pressure was building, but he kept her at a distance, forcing her into submission. She wasn't leading the assault this time.

Following a whimper of frustration, she draped her arms over his shoulders and bumped her forehead to his collar. "What are you waiting for?"

He smiled as her legs relaxed around him. "For that." With his fingers sliding to the back of her knees, he flipped her onto her back.

He pushed one knee to her shoulder and fell into the slick accommodations. Her eyes were clouded with fever as he zeroed in.

With his weight balanced on the elbow of his good shoulder, his other hand was free to slip between them. The pad of his thumb painted a trail straight down from her navel.

She cursed him as she came.


End file.
